Patrick Ryecart Will Star In A CHRISTMAS CAROL At The Barn Theatre

Olivier Award nominee Patrick Ryecart (The Crown, Poldark, The King's Speech) will lead the cast of The Barn Theatre's reimagined actor-musician production of Charles Dickens' festive masterpiece, A Christmas Carol, as Ebenezer Scrooge.

A Christmas Carol, a new version by playwright Alan Pollock with music and lyrics by Finn Anderson, runs at The Barn Theatre from 28 November - 4 January 2020. The production is the final instalment of The Barn's highly successful 2019 season of in-house Built By Barn productions.

Alan Pollock said of his new adaptation, which takes a fresh look at the classic Dickensian story, "almost everyone knows this fantastic story. But every time I see or hear it I wonder 'why is Scrooge like he is? What made him this way?'' And that was the starting point for this version..."

The full A Christmas Carol company includes Bronte Alice-Tadman, Jonathan Charles, Tom Chudley-Evans, Laura Coates, Connor Going, Grace Liston, Nuwan Hugh Perera and Rosie Zeidler. The role of Tiny Tim will be played by Trixie Cook, Georgia Dibbs and Scarlette Lavery.

A Christmas Carol is a new version by Alan Pollock, with music and lyrics by Finn Anderson, directed by Phil Bartlett, set and costume design by Sophia Pardon, movement direction by Lucie Pankhurst, illusions by Tom Brace, lighting design by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner, sound design by Chris Cleal and Harry Smith and projection design by Benjamin Collins.

Patrick Ryecart's theatre credits include: Whodunnit, Monogamy (Park Theatre), Present Laughter (Theatre On The Bay, Cape Town), The Dover Road (Close Quarter Productions), Me And My Girl (Sheffield), Untitled (Finborough), Tunes of Glory (National Tour), An Ideal Husband (National Tour/West End), High Society (West End), Jus' Like That! (West End), The Rivals (National Theatre), The Beastly Beatitudes Of Balthazar B (West End), Ring Round The Moon (West End), A Midsummer Night's Dream (West End), The Importance of Being Earnest (West End), Candida (West End). Television credits include: The Crown (3 seasons), Poldark, Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Escape Artist, Midsomer Murders, Hustle, Much Ado About Nothing, Arms And The Man, Coming Home, The Mystery Of Dr Martinu, Egypt, Pericles, Romeo & Juliet, Silas Marner, The High Life, The Rivals, Goldeneye, Young Indiana Jones, The Many Wives Of Patrick. Film credits include: The Contract, Candle To The Water, The King's Speech, Mute, Showreel, Heart Of Darkness, Prisoner Of Honor, Parting Shots, Twenty-One, Silver Dream Racer, A Bridge Too Far.

Alan Pollock's 10 plays for stage include What Do I Get, The Death of Cool (Hampstead Theatre) and Pig Play (Traverse Theatre). For TV Alan co-created BBC2's Attachments (starring Romola Garai and David Walliams) and has worked as a writer on a number of long-running drama serials. Radio includes Philip and Sydney, Every Duchess In England and May There Always Be Sunshine. His much-loved play One Night In November is the most successful new play ever produced at the Belgrade Theatre, revived three times since 2008. His film The Strange Death of Daniel Dvorjak (Ingenious/Rather Good) is currently in development. His children's book The Bear Who Went To War was published in May 2019.

Finn Anderson is a musical theatre writer, composer and singer-songwriter. Musical theatre writing includes Islander (Scotland tour/Paines Plough Roundabout/Southwark Playhouse, Off West End Best New Musical nominee, Musical Theatre Review Best Musical winner), LIMBO: City of Dreams and A Mother's Song (American Music Theatre Project/Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Come Hell or High Water (Citizens Theatre/Sky Arts) Streets (Hackney Empire/Cockpit, 'Best New Musial' nominee, OffWestEnd Awards) Alba (Edinburgh Fringe, MTN Award nominee). Other work includes composition for film, circus and dance UK-wide and internationally. Finn's debut singer-songwriter alum 'Until The Light' was released in June 2019.

Lucie Pankhurst has been working for over 20 years as a choreographer for stage and screen. As well as her own productions (including work at the Place Theatre as part of the Spring Loaded season), her stage choreography credits include: Troilus and Cressida (National Theatre), Toxic Avenger (Edinburgh Fringe, Southwark Playhouse & Arts Theatre, London), Wonderland (UK Tour), assistant choreographer to Arlene Philips for We Will Rock You, Holy Crap (Kings Head Theatre); How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (Wilton's Musical Hall), Guess How Much I Love You (Greenwich Theatre), The Royale (The Bush Theatre), Shock Treatment, Children of Eden (Union Theatre Southwark), Sweet Charity (National Youth Music Theatre), Sam Shepard's The Late Henry Moss (Southwark Playhouse), Susie McKenna's The Silver Sword (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry & UK Tour) and Peter Pan Musical for Sell A Door Worldwide (Blackpool Winter Garden Theatre). Film and TV choreography credits include: Snow White and the Huntsman, Maleficent, Florence Foster Jenkins, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, series choreographer for Lion Television's Horrible Histories, Series 7, BBC's Goodness Gracious Me reunion show for the BBC, Hat Trick Production's Horrible Science, Catherine Tate's Christmas Nan Special for the BBC and extensive work for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky.

A Christmas Carol is the final production of The Barn's 2019 season of in-house productions. The season included four other productions: Michael Morpurgo's The Butterfly Lion, William Shakespeare's classic history, Henry V, the comic thriller The 39 Steps, and the musical Daddy Long Legs, based on Jean Webster's classic novel, which completed their runs earlier this year.