A new production of the musical version of A Christmas Carol will be staged at The Lowry next Christmas. Forming part of of the Salford arts centre's 2024/2025 programme, the production will be staged by Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre.
It's all part of Hope Mill's future development, as the venue is currently expanding its operations to produce more award-winning musicals on a larger scale in other venues. A Christmas Carol follows on from their critically acclaimed take on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella last year.
Hope Mill co-founders Joseph Houston and William Whelton will reunite to co-direct a new version of the classic, with Whelton also choreographing. A Christmas Carol will run in The Lowry’s Quays Theatre from Friday, 6 December 2024 to Saturday, 4 January 2025., and tickets will go on sake on Friday, 15 December.
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Commenting on the news, William Whelton said: “We are thrilled to be bringing A Christmas Carol to The Lowry. While we will continue to produce work at our wonderful home venue, it has become increasingly challenging for us to stage ambitious, large-scale musicals at Hope Mill so we have been exploring new ways to work in the future – which includes staging our work at other theatres.
"We are so excited to be producing A Christmas Carol at The Lowry - a wonderful organisation we have long admired that has a thriving, supportive audience. We look forward to our loyal audiences - and new ones - seeing this work in Salford next Christmas.”
Based on Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol has music by Alan Menken - known for Disney's Beauty And The Beast and The Little Mermaid - plus lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and book by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens. It was a New York festive staple throughout the 90s and early 2000s, and it was later adapted for television starring Kelsey Grammer as Ebeneezer Scrooge.
Joseph Houston added: “While A Christmas Carol is a story we are all familiar with - especially at this time of year - when I was introduced to this musical version, I was instantly drawn in anew thanks to the legendary Alan Menken’s stunning music and Lynn Ahrens wonderful lyrics. It has everything you’d expect - from soaring tunes to full Broadway dance numbers.
"Myself and Will loved collaborating on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella in 2022 and we are delighted to be bringing this very special musical to The Lowry for Christmas 2024. We can’t wait for audiences to see the special show we have in store for them.”
Hope Mill Theatre is an independent theatre that performs original and revival plays, musicals and other events. It is located on Pollard Street in Manchester in the Hope Mill building, a Grade II-listed converted textile mill.
The theatre was the dream of couple Joseph Houston and William Whelton, who after training and building a career in theatre in London were inspired by the Off West End theatres and small producing venues. Hope Mill Theatre officially opened its doors in November of 2015, and has become one of the most successful independent venues in England - winning Fringe Venue of The Year at The Stage awards in 2018.
Matthew Eames, Head of Theatres (Contemporary & Commissioning) at The Lowry, also said: “We are really excited to be working with Hope Mill Theatre to host their production of A Christmas Carol in 2024 and to be able to support Joseph and Will with their ambitions to grow and develop.
"Both The Lowry and Hope Mill have been bold in their commitments to musical theatre in recent years, including joining together to host the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer in 2020-21 and we are sure that our Quays Theatre will be a great home-from-home for Hope Mill. We can’t wait to meet Scrooge and the rest of the cast next year!”
The Lowry’s Quays Theatre will show A Christmas Carol from Friday, 6 December 2024 until Saturday, 4 January 2025. Tickets go on general sale on Friday, December 15, 2023.
