Keith Allen will play Ebenezer Scrooge in Mark Gatiss’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story at Nottingham Playhouse and London’s Alexandra Palace.
Allen started his career as a stand-up comedian before appearing in a number of films in the series The Comic Strip Presents... on Channel 4 in the 1980s. More recently, he played serial killer and rapist John Cooper in the ITV three-part drama The Pembrokeshire Murders in 2021.
Stephanie Sirr, Nottingham Playhouse chief executive, commented, “the casting of Keith Allen as Scrooge is a real coup. We’re fascinated to see his interpretation of Mark Gatiss’s fantastic version of A Christmas Carol.”
He will be joined by Peter Forbes (Marley), Leona Allen (Caroline), James Backway (Fred), Geoffrey Beevers (narrator), Angelina Chudi (Belle), Edward Harrison (Bob Cratchit), Bettrys Jones (Ghost of Christmas Past), Joe Shire (Fezziwig / Ghost of Christmas Present), Rebecca Trehearn (Mrs Cratchit) and Ryan Weston (Tiny Tim).
The role of Edwin Cratchit will be shared by William Barker and Charlie Westlake while Grace Cratchit’s role will be shared by Madison Spencer-Ogiorumua and Ava-Jade Wolstenholme.
Nottingham Playhouse artistic director Adam Penford directs. The creative team also features Paul Wills (designer), Philip Gladwell (lighting designer), Ella Wahlström (sound designer), Nina Dunn for PixelLux (video designer), Georgina Lamb (movement director), Tingying Dong (composer), John Bulleid (illusions designer), Ginny Schiller CDG (casting director), Verity Naughton CDG (children’s casting director), Matthew Forbes (puppet designer and director), Tom Attwood (musical director), Kate Godfrey (voice and dialect coach) and Joseph Marshall (associate designer).
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story will run at Nottingham Playhouse from Friday 27 October until Saturday 18 November. It will then transfer to Alexandra Palace from Friday 24 November until Sunday 7 January 2024.