Christmas Carol at West Yorkshire Playhouse
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Yorkshire talent takes the Bah Humbug out of Christmas

Yorkshire born playwright Bryony Lavery brings an exciting musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to the West Yorkshire Playhouse where it will run from the 20th November to the 15th of January with music and lyrics from Leeds born composer Jason Carr.

Following its successful staging at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre last year; this spine tingling musical will be haunting the Playhouse this festive season, set on an icy Christmas Eve where the meanest man in London is tormented by the three Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.

Can this ghostly chorus of story tellers and singers save Ebenezer Scrooge from the terrible fate of a dark future and set him on the road to redemption? Taken on three journeys, Scrooge is shown happy memories from his past, cruel images of the present and terrifying scenes of Christmases yet to come. A Christmas Carol is sure to keep all the family on the edge of their seats as strange apparitions and spooky spectres reveal the true meaning of Christmas.

A Christmas Carol has been adapted from the Charles Dickens novel by Bryony Lavery. Raised in Yorkshire, she began her career as an actress and founded the theatre company Les Oufes Malades in addition to being art director of Gay Sweatshop. Her most recent work, Beautiful Burnout (Frantic Assembly and National Theatre of Scotland) was this year’s stand-out hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Born in Leeds, Jason Carr studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His composing credits include The Snow Queen and The Water Babies. He has also had Broadway hits with La Cage Aux Folles and A Little Night of Music, with Jason receiving a second Tony nomination for La Cage.

A Christmas Carol is directed by Yorkshire raised Nikolai Foster, recently back to the Playhouse fresh from directing Flashdance the Musical in the West End. His pairing with designer Colin Richmond reunites the creative team responsible for hits such as Animal Farm (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and All the Fun of the Fair (National Tour).

Philip Whitechurch who has appeared in WestEnd productions of Billy Elliot will take the role of Ebenezer Scrooge and Beverly Klein, whose stage credits include Sweeny Todd (Opera North) and Candide (English National Opera), will be joining the cast as Mrs Fezziwig.

For tickets call the West Yorkshire Playhouse Box office on 0113 213 7700 or visit www.wyp.org.uk

- by Kirsty Hulse

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