Christopher Eccleston is to return to the stage this year in a new production of A Christmas Carol. The Ninth Doctor actor will be playing Scrooge at London’s Old Vic theatre in an adaptation of Charles Dickens’s seasonal classic by playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne.

The production mark a return to live performance for Eccleston following a successful run in the lead role in Shakespeare’s Macbeth in 2018. In taking on the part of Ebeneezer Scrooge, he’s notching up another credit as one of Dickens’s most famous characters following his turn as Fagin in CBBC drama Dodger, a prequel to Oliver Twist.

Previewing his new role, Eccleston said:

“As a child, I read and watched every and any version of A Christmas Carol because of a fascination with Scrooge’s psychology. As a young actor, I read everything I could about the legendary Old Vic. I’m a very lucky man to be part of this production and cannot wait to meet our audiences.”

A Christmas Carol will run from 11th November 2023 to 6th January 2024 at The Old Vic. The theatre has hosted the play a number of times since 2017, with Rhys Ifans, Stephen Tompkinson, Paterson Joseph, Andrew Lincoln, Stephen Mangan and Owen Teale preceding Eccleston in the lead role. Tickets for A Christmas Carol can be booked through The Old Vic.

The production is described as “a unique staging” which “fills the auditorium to the brim with mince pies, music and merriment”. Jack Thorne had a huge success with the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a follow-up to JK Rowling’s mega-hit series of books, and his screen credits have included National Treasure, His Dark Materials, and Enola Holmes.

Christopher Eccleston continues to appear as the Ninth Doctor in Big Finish audios, recently appearing in a third series of adventures for the company. He’s also recorded a contribution to Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary celebrations alongside the late David Warner.