After a brief diversion into the Little Shop of Horrors in 2024, the Crucible’s Christmas production is back on familiar festive territory with this new adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol.

Adapted by Aisha Khan and directed by Elin Schofield, it had warmness, humour and plenty of cheer. What set this version apart was the use of village carols, an enduring festive tradition that are shaped by the areas they derive from and still exist today. Indeed in Sheffield, pubs in villages such as Dungworth, Worrall, Oughtibridge and Loxley still honour this tradition today.

In this stage version of A Christmas Carol, all musical interludes were sung acapella, giving extra focus to the songs. Rousing renditions of Six Jolly Miners, Hail Smiling Morn and Sweet Chiming Bells were joined by more familiar twists on classic carols such as The Holly and the Ivy and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

A small cast of just 12 meant multiple roles for many of them but they slipped seamlessly between them without any detriment to the story. Only Ian Midlane (Ebenezer Scrooge) stuck to his one central role and did so with great panache, transitioning from the grumpy ‘bah humbug’ character to one of humility and joy. 

Adam Price stood out in the roles of the Ghost of Christmas Present as well Mr Fezziwig, bringing plenty of gusto to each role, helped by some of the more comedic parts of the story.

There were no fancy set changes – one fixed set encompassed the headquarters of Scrooge and Marley (on a mezzanine level), Scrooge’s and the Cratchit’s homes as well as the city streets, which, judging by the local accents, definitely wasn’t Victorian London as in Dickens’ book. With the use of the village carols, it worked much better. 

Clever use of props and lighting – such as a door from which the ghost of Marley appeared – added a touch of magic to the story and the way that Scrooge’s name was revealed on his gravestone was very clever. And it wouldn’t be Christmas without a sprinkling of snow at the end. 

The only slight, and this is no way a criticism, is that the play was quite short – just two hours including a 20-minute interval. 

A Christmas Carol is a well-known and well-loved story and this version definitely left you with a good feeling inside as well as delivering plenty of festive cheer. And with it finishing just after 9, there was plenty of time to grab a mulled wine at the Christmas market. 

A Christmas Carol is at the Crucible until 10 January 2026. Call 0114 249 6000 or click here for tickets. 

All images courtesy of Johan Persson.