Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Starring Paul Hilton

For many, Christmas cannot begin until The Old Vic is staging Jack Thorne's A Christmas Carol. This year's iteration shows yet again why it is a festive must-see. Brimming with emotion, but never tipping into mawkishness, it will make you laugh, cry and gasp with child-like wonder, no matter what your age. What more could you want from a Christmas show?

Paul Hilton is a truly brilliant choice to play Scrooge. Weathered, gaunt and dishevelled, he shows the many aspects to the character. Yes he is gruff, truculent and mean, rejecting sentimentality in every form, but Hilton also shows self-doubt and increasing sadness at what he has become and why. His distress at the lack of joy in his childhood is palpable and the utter joy when he wakes on Christmas morning is infectious; it's a beautifully realised performance. 

Last seen at The Old Vic in the brilliant Groundhog Day, Tanisha Spring is wonderful as Belle; quick-witted and smart with an absolutely cracking vocal range, employed to great effect when she belts out the introduction to "See Amid the Winter's Snow" from the top of the balcony.

Lauren Jones is a delightful Little Fan, full of joy to be in the company of her brother, but moving to intense frustration as she revisits him as the Ghost of Christmas Future. Returning the show again, Alastair Parker fills the theatre as the ebullient Fezziwig and Rob Compton is brimming with emotional heft as Bob Cratchit. And of course Tiny Tim is the hit of the night, played on press night by a beaming Hannah Slater.

This production is very much an ensemble piece; carol-singing, bell-ringing, dancing and putting together a remarkable Christmas feast, with vegetables poured down sheets from the gallery and managing a flying turkey. The cast is tight, well rehearsed and loving every moment. It is a joy to see.

For Matthew Warchus's final season at the theatre, the stage has been re-jigged to its traditional in-the-round setting. For this show, it creates a more intimate atmosphere than I have seen previously, but it also means that various entrances, including Marley's dramatic entry pulling his never-ending rope of chains, are less visible.

There is so much to take in. Rob Howell's inventive set and convincing costumes; Hugh Vanstone's spookily atmospheric lighting; Simon Baker's excellent sound design and Lizzi Gee's jubilant choreography. As ever, Christopher Nightingale's music is magical, conducted by Alan Berry with delicate precision. It is a show where everything comes together to create something so captivating and poignant that even the most hard-hearted person cannot resist its charms. 

2025 marks the ninth iteration of the show and I have been lucky to see every single one. What is remarkable is the ability of the production to grip you anew, always revealing a different emotional element, nuance or message. That really is theatrical magic-long may it remain a fixture in London's festive calendar. 

Every year, The Old Vic holds a charity collection during the run of A Christmas Carol. So far they have raised over £2 million for very worthy causes. This year's charity is Feeding Britain. For more information and to donate, click here.

A Christmas Carol is at The Old Vic until 10 January 2026.

Buy Tickets to A Christmas Carol | Old Vic