Psst! We've mapped a load of A Christmas Carol locations from the book, films and plenty more.
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is one of THE great stories — a magical cocktail of London, ghosts and Christmas. (Also, sometimes Kermit.) As usual this yuletide, there's a festive flurry of adaptations on stage, running the gamut from traditional, to drunken, to one with Sherlock in it.
A Christmas Carol, Old Vic
Since 2017, Waterloo's Old Vic theatre has staged Jack Thorne's (writer of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child) version of the Dickens Christmas parable, which comes loaded with all the trimmings — think stove-pipe hats, groaning ghouls, bewitching hand bells and mince pies dished out to the audience. It's back again in 2024, with Life On Mars star John Simm playing the miserable old pinchpenny who (spoiler alert) eventually sees the light and gets his Christmas on.
A Christmas Carol, Old Vic, 9 November 2024-4 January 2025
A Christmas Carol, New Wimbledon Theatre and Hoxton Hall
The Dickens Theatre Company are up and down the country this November and December, calling in at New Wimbledon Theatre and Hoxton Hall, with their unique spin on A Christmas Carol. It's framed around two of Dickens's theatrical companions forced to play 30-odd characters between them, when the rest of their troupe gets stuck on a train.
A Christmas Carol, New Wimbledon Theatre, 11 November 2024; Studio at New Wimbledon Theatre, 28 November-7 December 2024; Hoxton Hall, 20-22 December 2024
A Christmas Carol-ish, Soho Place
2024 sees a welcome return for this riotous — and at times utterly bewildering — riff on A Christmas Carol, led by the utterly hilarious Nick Mohammed (of Ted Lasso fame), backed by the tremendous trio of Kieran Hodgson, David Elms and Martha Howe-Douglas. We reviewed A Christmas Carol-ish back in 2022, praising its generous glug of panto, dash of cruise ship chintz — and a garnish of abracadabra swirled into a potent festive punch. Not one for the classicists.
A Christmas Carol-ish, Soho Place, 16 November-31 December 2024
A Sherlock Carol, Marylebone Theatre
Set three Christmasses after the notorious Reichenbach Falls episode, this Sherlock-Scrooge mash-up sees the Victorian detective approached by one Tiny Tim, who wants to get to the bottom of the mysterious death of his reformed benefactor, Ebenezer Scrooge. A Sherlock Carol sounds like a Londonphile's Christmasses all come at once — no wonder it sells out every year.
A Sherlock Carol, Marylebone Theatre, 29 November 2024-5 January 2025
The Muppet Christmas Carol, Prince Charles Cinema and Eventim Apollo
There will be no shortage of The Muppet Christmas Carol screenings in London's cinemas this December. However, the Prince Charles Cinema's singalongs (1-24 December) are one of the great joys in life — and whether you've seen this film a million times, or are somehow, SOMEHOW a first-timer, you're going to have a hoot.
A shout out too, to the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, which screens the Christmas caper with a live orchestra (twice on 14 December). Altogether now: "It's in the singing of the street corner choir..."
The Muppet Christmas Carol, Prince Charles Cinema, 1-24 December 2024
The Muppet Christmas Carol with live orchestra, Hammersmith Apollo, 14 December 2024
Count Arthur Strong is Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, Bloomsbury Theatre
A taste is clearly emerging for well-known comedians to take up the Scrooge-shaped mantel. For two nights only, Steve Delaney becomes Count Arthur Strong becomes Ebenezer Scrooge. Fans of the popular Count Arthur Strong sitcom will no doubt go for this mirthsome one-man approach. As for anyone else: "If you miss it, you weren't there!".
Count Arthur Strong is Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, Bloomsbury Theatre, 7 and 8 December 2024
A Pissedmas Carol, Leicester Square Theatre
Bar, rum, glug! This show does what it says on the tin (of lager) — namely A Christmas Carol but with one of the Sh!t-faced Showtime cast members becoming increasingly merry (insert 'Christmas spirits' gag here) as the tale unfolds. Whether they're staying true to the original text by guzzling down goblets of Smoking Bishop remains to be seen.
A Pissedmas Carol, Leicester Square Theatre, 9 December 2024-11 January 2025
A Christmas Carol: Live, Charles Dickens Museum
Wish you could've seen Charles Dickens perform A Christmas Carol at one of his famous live performances, in which he was hopped up on champagne and oysters? Head to the Charles Dickens Museum, where James Swanton does a bally good impression of the great author as he rollicks through the festive novella.
That's not the only Dickens storytelling going on at the museum this Christmas: Swanton is also doing a handful of performances of festive tales The Chimes, and The Haunted Man. Indeed, this charming house-museum fully embraces the spirit of a Dickensian Christmas, with a slew of special tours and events throughout the season.
A Christmas Carol: Live, Charles Dickens Museum, 10-23 December 2024
Deck The Halls With Streetwise Opera, All Hallows by the Tower
An eve of yuletide merriment at the church of All Hallows by the Tower, Deck The Halls is packed with festive singalongs and readings. A yearly highlight is the appearance of dulcet-voiced Simon Callow luvvie, who takes to the lectern to read his favourite excerpts from A Christmas Carol. It's all in aid of homelessness charity Streetwise Opera, too, so rest assured your sixpences are going to a good cause.
Deck The Halls With Streetwise Opera, All Hallows by the Tower, 13 December 2024
A Christmas Carol, Greenwich Theatre
Yet again this Christmas, John O'Connor steps into the shoes of Charles Dickens, as he rattles off a spirited public reading at Greenwich Theatre (there are only three shows, so be quick getting tickets). It's an enchanting way to see just how perfect the story is, even stripped of the theatrical bells and whistles.
A Christmas Carol, Greenwich Theatre, 16 and 23 December 2024
A Dickensian Christmas, Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall in Sloane Square invites you to an evening of classic carols (inc. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen;
O Come All Ye Faithful; and O Little Town of Bethlehem) sprinkled with readings from A Christmas Carol. Sounds like a pleasant secular twist on the Nine Lessons and Carols format.
A Dickensian Christmas, Cadogan Hall, 18 December 2024
A Christmas Carol Walk
Sticking around London for Christmas? Hazel Baker leads A Christmas Carol Walk through the City of London's streets on the afternoon of Christmas Eve itself. If you can't make that, check out our map of Ebenezer Scrooge's London.
A Christmas Carol Walk, City of London, 24 December 2024
