Anthony Harkin and more to join David Wenham for A CHRISTMAS CAROL’s Australian premiere in Melbourne next month

GWB Entertainment today announced the exceptional cast for the Australian production of The Old Vic’s multi award-winning A Christmas Carol.

Starring David Wenham as Ebenezer Scrooge in a rare opportunity to see him live on stage in Melbourne, the joyous and uplifting production will feature Bernard Curry (Savage River, Wentworth) as Bob Cratchit, Debra Lawrance (Please Like Me, Five Bedrooms, Home and Away) as The Ghost of Christmas Past and Samantha Morley (Girl From The North Country, Billy Elliot) as The Ghost of Christmas Present.

The glittering cast also includes Emily Nkomo (Jagged Little Pill) as Little Fan, Anthony Harkin (Kinky Boots, The Sound of Music, Next to Normal) as Jacob Marley, Sarah Morrison (Come From Away, Ladies in Black, Mamma Mia!) as Belle, Nicholas Kong (Spring Awakening, Anything Goes) as Fezziwig, Andrew Coshan (A View From The Bridge, Merrily We Roll Along) as Fred and Stephanie Lambourn (Broadway cast of A Christmas Carol) as Mrs Cratchit, and is completed by Cameron Taylor, Melanie Bird, Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, Benjamin Colley, Jan Di Pietro and Embla Bishop.

Speaking about the casting, Australian producer Torben Brookman for GWB Entertainment said

We are thrilled to announce this incredible Australian cast to join David Wenham in bringing this classic tale of community, hope and redemption to the stage. A Christmas Carol is the perfect production for the entire family to see this Christmas season in Melbourne.

Rehearsals commence this month ahead of the Australian premiere on 12 November, with tickets now on sale for performances until Christmas Eve.

Two visionary Tony Award® winners — director Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical) and playwright Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) — have created a magical new interpretation of Charles Dickens’ timeless story, A Christmas Carol and Melbourne audiences can immerse themselves in a bighearted, smash hit production that brims with Christmas spirit.

Winner of five Tony Awards®, making A Christmas Carol the most awarded play of 2021, this adaptation of one of the English language’s most beloved pieces of literature features dazzling staging, moving storytelling, and 12 cherished Christmas carols, including ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Silent Night’.

After premiering at London’s The Old Vic in 2017, A Christmas Carol has become a much-loved festive staple over the past six seasons. The role of Scrooge has been performed by a raft of celebrated actors including Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead), Stephen Mangan (The Split), Stephen Tompkinson (DCI Banks), Paterson Joseph (Vigil), and Owen Teale (Games of Thrones, Line of Duty).

The production then opened on Broadway in 2019 – with Scrooge played by Campbell Scott (House of Cards) and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) – garnering rave reviews, breaking box office records and winning every Tony Award for which it was nominated, including Best Score (the first win for a non-musical play).

Dickens’ 1843 novella tells the story of a selfish and greedy old man, Ebenezer Scrooge, who hates everything related to Christmas. Ultimately a tale of compassion and redemption, after being visited by Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, Scrooge is changed into a better man.

With scenic and costume design by Tony Award® winner Rob Howell, music and arrangements by Tony Award® winner Christopher Nightingale, lighting design by Tony Award® winner Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Tony Award® winner Simon Baker, movement by Lizzi Gee, The Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol will fill the Comedy Theatre to the brim with music and merriment.

An Old Vic Production

A CHRISTMAS CAROL | A version by Jack Thorne

Comedy Theatre, Melbourne

12 November – 29 December 2022

christmascarolaustralia.com.au