“If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.”
Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean, miserly loner, destined to spend his afterlife making up for all the mistakes he made on earth – until, that is, a chilling encounter with the spectre of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, sets him on a different path. Can Marley’s ghost – and those of Christmas Past, Present and Future – transform the unfortunate Scrooge in time, or is it already too late to save him? See this charming Fireside Folktales adaptation of the classic Christmas tale by Charles Dickens and find out for yourself…
Our 2024-25 Arts Council Tour
In 2024 we were thrilled to be awarded an Arts Council grant to tour our acclaimed production of A Christmas Carol around numerous hospital wards, care homes, and cancer centres.
Thanks to this funding, and donations from Shadow Road supporters, fundraising events such as our St Mary’s coffee mornings, our annual carol singing, and our Halloween event Werewolves of Barnes, we were able to bring high-quality live theatre to hospital wards, care homes, and cancer centres across London – to people who due to disability, illness, or financial constraints, would not otherwise be able to access such an event.
Christmas is traditionally a time of joy and family, but for many in healthcare settings it can be a period of loneliness, sorrow, and isolation. We sought to counteract this by bringing the uplifting and communal experience of live theatre directly to those who need it most, providing both entertainment and cultural enrichment, as well as the happiness and feeling of connection that comes with sharing such an experience with others.
This was our second charity tour of this production; the first somewhat shorter one took place in 2019 and was entirely self-funded, with Shadow Road and our actors volunteering their time and talent. The pandemic then delayed any return to this sort of endeavour until 2024, when, with the Arts Council’s help, we were able to visit many more patients and residents who were going through treatment or who were in care over Christmas, along with their loved ones, friends and the staff looking after them. Our performances are not simply entertainment; they are a means of connection. Through literature, history, and live performance, we aim to bridge the gap between those in these care environments and the outside world, improving wellbeing during the challenging winter months. Making theatre accessible, especially for those who might otherwise miss out, has always been a huge part of Shadow Road’s ethos, and it was our honour to bring festive magic to so many this past year.
If you want to sponsor a hospital or care home visit this coming Christmas, or you would like us to bring this production to your organisation or private event, please get in touch with us here: shadowroadproductions@gmx.com
Upcoming shows
- Sunday 8th December – 2.30pm [Added due to popular demand] & 6pm [Almost sold out!] – Southside House, Wimbledon, London
- Friday 3rd January – 6.30pm – Colkins Mill Church, Mayfield, East Sussex
Adult: £22
Child: £16
Family: £54 (Admits 4, either 2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children)
Upcoming shows
Catch us at The Coach & Horses, Barnes, SW13 9LW
Dates: Fri 16th & Mon 19th December 2022 at 7.30pm
Adult: £15 – includes a free glass of mulled wine!
Child: £10
Audience reviews
You might like to know...
- This production runs for around 1hr 30 minutes and is best performed with an interval.
- It can be performed in a wide variety of indoor spaces and different configurations – though the most popular is end-on. Please get in touch if you have any questions.
- A Christmas Carol would be an obvious choice for venues looking for festive entertainment for the visiting public; for Christmas celebrations, whether private or corporate; for Dickens fans and for school groups, many of whom are studying the novella as part of the curriculum.
- Certain of the puppets used at points throughout the play may make it a little frightening for young children. This is not specifically a ‘child’s play’, although it has been seen and enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
More Fireside Folktales tales
