Andrew Lincoln to play Ebenezer Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Old Vic

The Christmassy theatre tradition will return to London in December.

UPDATE: Photos added 16 December

Ahead of livestreamed performances of A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic, full casting has been announced. Andrew Lincoln will star as Ebenezer Scrooge in the production, with performances from 12 - 24 December.

Following in the footsteps of Paterson Joseph, Rhys Ifans and Griff Rhys Jones, Andrew Lincoln plays Scrooge. Best known as Rick Grimes in the AMC television series The Walking Dead, Lincoln returns to the London stage for the first time in over a decade. His previous theatre credits include Parlour Song and The Late Henry Moss at the Almeida Theatre and Blue/Orange at the Duchess Theatre.

He'll be joined by a cast including Clive Rowe as Fezziwig, Myra McFadyen as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Golda Rosheuvel as the Ghost of Christmas Present/Mrs Fezziwig and Michael Rouse as Jacob Marley/Father.

Casting is completed by Melissa Allan, Rosanna Bates, John Dagleish, Tim van Eyken, Sam Lathwood, Eugene McCoy, Gloria Obianyo, Maria Omakinawa and Samuel Townsend. Rayhaan Kufuor-Gray, Lara Mehmet, Lenny Rush and Eleanor Stollery share the role of Tiny Tim.

Ahead of this year's production, director Matthew Warchus said: "When I began my job as Artistic Director five years ago I boldly (naively) put up a neon sign in the lobby radiating Lilian Baylis' favorite quote - "Dare, Always Dare". With those galvanizing words ringing in our ears, I am delighted to announce that Andrew Lincoln has joined us in what must surely be one of the most ambitious and complex pieces of live streamed theatre attempted in the pandemic so far. The Old Vic's A Christmas Carol has moved and entertained over a quarter of a million people in London and New York over the last three Christmases and we made a pledge last spring that we would still present it, in some form or other, even in this most challenging of years... [We are] celebrating the important role live theatre has always played in bringing us together to share amazing stories."

First performed at the Old Vic in 2017, Jack Thorne's adaptation of A Christmas Carol still sees Scrooge visited by Christmas apparitions who tell him to reevaluate his priorities. The production has even transferred to Broadway, nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) written for the Theatre (for Christopher Nightingale).

On December 17, Dermot O'Leary will host a live conversation with Andrew Lincoln, discussing this year's production.

A Christmas Carol is available to watch as a live streamed production broadcast from the Old Vic from 12 - 24 December.

^{Photo credit: Andrew Lincoln as Ebenezer Scrooge (Photo by The Old Vic)}