Andrew Lincoln to star as Scrooge in Old Vic's A Christmas Carol

Casting has been announced for the Old Vic's A Christmas Carol, which will be streamed from the venue's empty auditorium next month to remote audiences.

Andrew Lincoln (Love, Actually, The Walking Dead) will take on the lead role of Scrooge in the live-broadcast production.

Also set to appear in the show are Melissa Allan, Rosanna Bates, John Dagleish, Tim van Eyken, Sam Lathwood, Eugene McCoy, Myra McFadyen, Gloria Obianyo, Maria Omakinwa, Golda Rosheuvel, Michael Rouse, Clive Rowe and Sam Townsend. With Rayhaan Kufuor-Gray, Lara Mehmet, Lenny Rush and Eleanor Stollery sharing the role of Tiny Tim.

As it stands, the show will not be affected by the new lockdown announced by the government over the weekend.

This stage version of A Christmas Carol is penned by Jack Thorne with direction by Matthew Warchus, set and costume design by Rob Howell, composition and arrangement by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, broadcast sound and video by Simon Baker, movement by Lizzi Gee, casting by Jesssica Ronane and associate direction by Jame Manton.

According to the venue, in total 80 freelance creatives, actors and musicians will be employed to create this year's production. Dermot O'Leary will also hold a Q&A with the actor for one night on 17 December.

A Christmas Carol will be performed live from 12 to 24 December 2020 for just 16 performances with 80,000 tickets available across the run. Priced from £10 to £65, all tickets offering the same view.

The theatre will be offering all care homes a free link to watch the show, and will be doing the same for state schools in the Lambeth and Southwark areas. The theatre will also partner with FoodCycle to fundraise for those in need this Christmas, with Thorne pledging to match all A Christmas Carol Foodcycle donations received from the public up to £250,000.

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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' favourite quote – "Dare, Always Dare". With those galvanising 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. In doing a project of this size we don't expect to be able to make any profit for the theatre but rather we will be continuing our mission of staying connected to audiences of all ages, providing much-needed work and income for dozens of freelancers, and generally celebrating the important role live theatre has always played in bringing us together to share
amazing stories. I hope you can join us."