Photo Flash: Gareth Hale Stars In Arts Theatre's A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Gareth Hale will play Scrooge in Susie McKenna and Steve Edis' adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which is to open in the newly refurbished Arts Theatre in November this year.
A Christmas Carol, produced by Tiny Tim Productions, will preview from 11 November, with the press performance on 25 November, and is booking until 10 January 2010.

Susie McKenna - writer and director, and Steve Edis - composer and arranger, are regular collaborators best known for their award-winning Christmas productions previously staged at the Hackney Empire. They are joined by associate director and choreographer Frank Thompson, designer Lotte Collett, musical director Ian MacGregor, lighting designer David Howe and sound designer Richard Brooker. The puppet designer and fabricator is Scott Brooker.

The cast - who between them play over 30 roles - is led by Gareth Hale as Scrooge, who is joined by Simon Lipkin, Rebecca Thornhill and Michael Matus, as well as, the voices of Matthew White as Charlie the Theatre Mouse and Sharon D. Clarke as Bentolina the Theatre Cat, and puppeteers Brian Herring and Erin Lister.

When Christmas-hating Sidney and his nephew Danny accidentally get locked inside a theatre, the last thing they expect is to have to perform A Christmas Carol on stage in front of an expectant audience. But of course this is no ordinary night in the theatre, and a sumptuous sprinkling of festive charm is about to transform this Dickens classic like never before...