The Old Vic’s annual production of A Christmas Carol returns for 2025 with Paul Hilton delivering a powerful, sharply drawn Scrooge at the centre of this beloved festive tradition. Directed by Matthew Warchus and adapted by Jack Thorne, this year’s staging once again proves why the show has become a cornerstone of London’s Christmas theatre season.
The production feels as magical as ever: lanterns glow above the audience, the cast sweep through the aisles ringing handbells, and live music fills the theatre with warmth. The immersive staging wraps the audience into Dickens’ world, creating moments that are both intimate and spectacular.
Paul Hilton’s Scrooge is a highlight — flinty, wounded, and ultimately deeply moving in his transformation. The ensemble support him brilliantly, shifting effortlessly between narration, character work and rich choral arrangements that lift the storytelling to something close to ritual.
This year’s design retains its signature simplicity and beauty, with candlelit atmospheres, unexpected visual flourishes and a sense of generosity that feels entirely in keeping with Dickens’ message. The balance of humour, melancholy and redemption is finely judged, never tipping into sentimentality but always aiming for clarity and emotional truth.
Once again, A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic proves itself an essential Christmas outing — visually enchanting, musically rich and emotionally resonant. It sends audiences back into the winter air feeling a little kinder, a little lighter, and a little more hopeful.
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