★★★★

“This polished, paranormal staging rattles its chains as effectively as it warms the heart”

Christmas hasn’t always been twinkling lights and cosy fires – in Dickens’ time, ghost stories helped pass the long winter nights, a tradition cemented by ‘A Christmas Carol’. Mark Gatiss’ stage adaptation, ‘A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story’, leans into this seasonal spookiness, casting a chilling shadow across the festive favourite. Catch this show’s third run at the fittingly haunting Alexandra Palace if you fancy something darker this Christmas.

Scrooge and Marley revel in another year of ruthless debt collecting – until Marley drops dead. Fast forward seven years and Scrooge remains a miser with no care for people’s suffering. One fateful Christmas Eve, a night of supernatural encounters confronts him with the cost of his choices. Can he atone and will his redemption endure?

Gatiss’ adaptation honours Dickens’ legacy, faithfully preserving the original plot and prose while artfully reimagining it for theatre. Its more traditional feel is sharpened by the darker edge of ghostly encounters, with some playful asides adding wit and dimension to Scrooge. The conclusion stays true to Dickens, yet a satisfying twist underscores the permanence of Scrooge’s transformation and makes his ordeal all the more meaningful.

Director Adam Penford keeps the audience on edge, sustaining a haunting energy with slick stagecraft and well timed jump scares softened by moments of wit and affection. Towering, oppressive set pieces dominate with meticulous blocking ensuring clarity throughout. Smart use of the stage apron adds dynamism in the large space, and video projections cleverly augment the set.

Georgina Lamb’s movement direction injects bursts of merriment, with choreographed sequences adding welcome dynamism between darker passages. These moments not only heighten contrast but soften the focus on Scrooge, giving the production greater texture and variety.

Tingying Dong’s score demonstrates effortless range, shifting from deliciously eerie moments to bursts of Christmas cheer. The choral section is a particularly effective touch, bringing Scrooge into the fold.

Paul Wills’ impressive design brims with symbolism. Towering filing cabinets echo Scrooge’s isolation while his elevated desk reflects self perceived superiority. The stark bleakness of Scrooge’s office and Victorian streets are sharp contrast to the warmth of the Christmas scenes, creating a visual journey that underscores the character’s transformation. John Bulleid’s illusion design delivers clever sleight of hand and well timed jump scares, conjuring a genuinely haunted atmosphere. Philip Gladwell’s inventive lighting design dazzles, blending an array of effects to bring maximum drama. Ella Wahlström’s sound design perfectly captures a freezing Victorian Christmas, seamlessly layering whipping wind, clanging clocks and spectral sounds. Nina Dunn’s video design evokes the texture of real life London. Matthew Forbes’s puppet design extends the otherworldly feel but could benefit from deeper integration. The dog is undeniably charming despite its curious lack of hindlegs, while the ghost children are truly creepy.

This strong cast features famous faces. Neil Morrissey brings a lighter touch to Marley, sputtering comically to death before returning with a far more haunting presence. Matthew Cottle shines as Scrooge, capturing the frosty miser while subtly suggesting the man beneath. His performance blossoms into a more nuanced portrayal of redemption, avoiding the pitfall of manic exaggeration. The ensemble handles their multi roling with skill, shifting accents and characterisations with ease. The slightly echoey acoustics demand clearer diction at times, especially when employing accents.

‘A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story’ offers a darker take on the Christmas classic. This polished, paranormal staging rattles its chains as effectively as it warms the heart, making the trip to Alexandra Palace well worth the journey.

HERE YOU COME AGAIN

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“an unexpected gem (or should that be rhinestone) of a show”

Should Dolly Parton ever fall on hard times, there is definitely a career for her as a self-help therapist. At least according to the feel-good musical “Here You Come Again”. The Country icon is given enough sugary lines to inspire the most misanthropic among us to cheer up and join in a group hug. The show is an undeniably cheesy affair, but bonkers enough to be brilliantly entertaining, camp, funny and toe-tappingly tantalising.

This is not a musical about Dolly Parton, although we do get a couple of superficial glimpses into her backstory. It is, in fact, about Kevin. It is the summer of 2020 and forty-year-old Kevin is back home, holed up in the attic of his parent’s house. The pandemic is in full swing and he is isolated with nothing to keep him company but his childhood memorabilia: Dolly Parton records and posters. Split up from boyfriend Jeremy and with his professional dreams unfulfilled, he is careering towards a mid-life crisis. “What would Dolly do?” he muses. Lo and behold, Ms Parton walks into his life out of his dreams. Or rather crashes into it, exploding from a poster on his bedroom door in a genie-like puff of smoke. Richard Pinner’s illusions are pretty impressive throughout.

Written by American comedy writer and songsmith Bruce Vilanch, with Gabriel Barre (who also directs), and writer and actor Tricia Paoluccio (who also stars as Dolly), it has been anglicised by Jonathan Harvey who provides additional material for the production’s UK run. Apparently it has also been wholeheartedly endorsed by Parton herself, so things are looking good. With the help of its two protagonists, things are looking great. It is an unexpected gem (or should that be rhinestone) of a show. ‘Unexpected’ in the sense that its structure is a surprise, rather than expectations were low. It defies musical convention – no big ensemble; just Tricia Paoluccio as Dolly with Steven Webb as Kevin. It is a curious mix of stand-up, soap opera and jukebox musical. A live band wander on and offstage with backing vocalists also playing cameos as Mum, Dad and ex-boyfriend.

Paoluccio is a dead ringer for Dolly, especially vocally. Totally at ease, she handles the platitude-rich dialogue with good humour and an infectious energy, but it is when she bursts into song that she truly soars. Webb is magnificent as the struggling comedian, Kevin. Eccentric and neurotic, nerdy and needy, and self-deprecating, he knows the joke is on him. And although the jokes are often bad (intentionally so, we like to suspect) the couple have great fun with them. Their relaxed banter drives along smoothly until it reaches the exit slip road to the next musical number. The signposts are obvious and the dialogue becomes somewhat contrived. We are never allowed to forget that the show is a vehicle for Dolly Parton’s back catalogue. But, hey, why not? That’s the whole point, and the creators have found a unique and inspired framing device for such a recognisable repertoire. The favourites are all there, of course, along with a few lesser known hidden secrets.

Country music is notorious for shrouding intelligently bleak lyrics in an upbeat camouflage, a concept that spills over into the script – so that whenever the dialogue is at risk of becoming dark or deep, Dolly’s relentless optimism (or ‘insufferable positivity’ as Kevin calls it) over-sweetens it with way too many spoonfuls of sugar.

You certainly don’t need to be a fan of Dolly to appreciate the show. In fact, even if you claim not to be (though I suspect you’re just in denial) I’d still urge you to see it. The sense of fun is intoxicating and the performances are exceptional. The personal touches they add to the songs are often hilarious too – their rendition of ‘Jolene’ is worth the ticket price alone. We are even given a whirlwind medley of the greatest hits at curtain call, during which the show morphs into full-on gig mode. The crowds are now on their feet. This finale may have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the show, but most of us have forgotten the plot by now. We’re just basking in Dolly’s light and forgetting our troubles. Kevin certainly has – he’s a whole new man. This is a joyous musical, but beware – you’ll be humming those songs well into the New Year.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Alexandra Palace

★★★★

“This polished, paranormal staging rattles its chains as effectively as it warms the heart”

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Alexandra Palace

Reviewed on 26th November 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Mark Douet

Previously reviewed at this venue:

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

HERE YOU COME AGAIN

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“an unexpected gem (or should that be rhinestone) of a show”