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The announcement of the second lockdown has not been great news for London’s theatres: they’re all shutting after final performances on Wednesday, and they’re all desperately hoping that they can reopen on December 2, something that is very much TBC.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom: London’s digital theatre scene is stronger than ever, and because ‘work’ is still permitted under new lockdown rules, live performances that don’t involve IRL audiences should be able to go ahead, as should rehearsals for said performances.
This brings us to the Old Vic’s ‘A Christmas Carol’. Adapted by Jack Thorne – author of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ and the TV adaptation of ‘His Dark Materials’, to name but two – it’s a barnstorming seasonal tradition at the venerable theatre that’s run every Christmas since 2017.
Wisely, the Vic opted to have the show’s 2020 run as the latest instalment of its In Camera series: that is, shows performed live from its stage, but only available to watch online. The series so far has brought big names including Clare Foy, Matt Smith, Andrew Scott and Michael Sheen to the Vic, and this ‘Carol’ is no exception as Andrew Lincoln takes on the role of haunted miser Ebenezer Scrooge. Whether you know him as an affable loser in ‘This Life’, ‘Teachers’ or ‘Love Actually’ or as a zombie-slaying sheriff in ‘The Walking Dead’, he’s a serious name, and this is his first stage outing in more than a decade.
Plus, you’ll get all the trimmings: where the other In Cameras have been stripped-down affairs, this will have a full cast of 15, and hopefully retain the zip-lining turkey.
Tickets go on sale at 10am next Monday November 9, and are limited to the capacity of the theatre for each performance, which must be watched live. UK audiences can purchase a special £80 souvenir ticket that comes with a limited-edition poster. There will also be an in-conversation event between Andrew Lincoln and Dermot O’Leary on December 17 at 8.30pm, tickets costing £20.
‘A Christmas Carol’ runs at the Old Vic. Dec 12-24. £10-£80. Find tickets here.