Adrian Edmondson discusses taking on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the Royal Shakespeare Company's revival of David Edgar's adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
The production, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon between 26 October 2022 and 1 January 2023.
The cast also features Sunetra Sarker (Casualty), who makes her RSC debut as The Ghost of Christmas Present.
They are joined by: Beth Alsbury (Hinge), Lauren Arney (Belinda), Sally Cheng (Isabel), Eamonn Cox (Swing), Rachel Denning (Mrs Baldock), Gavin Fowler (Charles Dickens), Clive Hayward (Fezziwig), Jack Humphrey (Tim), Beruce Khan (John Forster), Rebecca Lacey (Ghost of Christmas Past), Bethany Linsdell (Caroline), Michael Lyle (Father), Alexander Moneypenny (Swing), Conor O’Hara (Swing), Emma Pallant (Mrs Cratchit), Joseph Prowen (Fred), Rachel Seirian (Swing), Oliver Senton (Uber), Mitesh Soni (Bob Cratchit), Liyah Summers (Fanny), Giles Taylor (Marley) and Georgie Westall (Swing).
Edmondson, who returns to the RSC after making his debut as Malvolio in Twelfth Night in 2017, said: "I'm really looking forward to playing Scrooge. Why, you might ask, would you watch a show about a really horrible person? You watch it because you're cheering him on, urging him to become a better person. You're on his side, you want him to turn. I think that makes him one of the most fundamentally interesting characters in literature, and a great part to play."
Edgar added: "When we premiered the show in 2017, millions were already relying on food banks and beggars haunted city streets. Covid and the cost of living crisis have made economic inequality – and raw poverty – an even more pressing reality. And yet – in the way the nation came together around the NHS to combat the pandemic – we have been reminded of the selflessness and generosity of spirit which lies at the heart of Dickens’ enduringly optimistic story."
A Christmas Carol is designed by Stephen Brimson Lewis with lighting by Tim Mitchell. Music is by Catherine Jayes, Sound Design by Fergus O’Hare with Movement by Georgina Lamb.
