A Christmas Carol to receive Middle Temple Hall World Premiere
Story by Lizzie Guilfoyle
A NEW musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ much-loved festive classic, A Christmas Carol, will be performed in the spectacular setting of Middle Temple Hall in central London from Saturday, December 22 until Sunday, December 30, 2012, rounding off a year of celebrations marking Dickens’ bicentenary.
The legendary story follows the fortunes of tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge who, on Christmas Eve, is disturbed by the ghost of his business partner, Jacob Marley.
To help Scrooge avoid the ghastly fate that awaits him beyond the grave, Marley arranges for him to be visited by three spirits. But can the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come persuade Scrooge to open his heart to the magic of Christmas before the sun rises?
Presented by acclaimed theatre company Antic Disposition, this new musical adaptation combines Dickens’s ghostly tale with a score of original songs based on the music of a traditional Victorian Christmas.
The historic setting of Middle Temple Hall will be decked for the occasion with boughs of holly, and filled with the aromas of mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, mince pies and other festive fayre, all of which will be available to help put the audience in a Yuletide spirit.
Located in the secluded heart of London’s legal quarter, between Fleet Street and the Embankment, Middle Temple Hall was completed in 1573 and remains virtually unchanged to this day.
With its narrow, cobbled alleyways and shady, gas-lit courtyards, stepping into Middle Temple really is stepping into the London that Dickens himself knew – and described in several of his works – creating the perfect backdrop for Antic Disposition’s unique celebration of his much-loved Christmas tale.
Antic Disposition was founded in 2005 by director Ben Horslen and designer John Risebero, and specialises in innovative interpretations of classic plays and stories, which are often presented in historic locations or non-theatre spaces.
A Christmas Carol will be the company’s third visit to Middle Temple Hall, following recent sell-out and critically-acclaimed productions of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
A Christmas Carol has a book and lyrics by Ben Horslen and John Risebero, and music by Christopher Peake.
It is being directed by Ben Horslen and John Risebero, who also designs. Casting has yet to be announced.
Listings info:
A Christmas Carol from Saturday, December 22 – Sunday, December 30 at 3pm & 7.30pm. No performances December 25 and 26.
Box Office: 0844 8700 887 l Website
Tickets: £25 (Under 18s £15)
Premium Tickets: £35 (Under 18s £25)
Early Bird Tickets: £15
Middle Temple Hall
Middle Temple Lane
London, EC4Y 9AT