Rhys Ifans To Play Scrooge In Matthew Warchus' Reworked A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Rhys Ifans is set to star as Ebenezer Scrooge in a radical reworking of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Matthew Warchus directs Charles Dickens' timeless classic A Christmas Carol in a joyous new adaptation by Jack Thorne, starring Rhys Ifans as Ebenezer Scrooge, opening at The Old Vic on 29 November with previews from 18 November.

On a bitter Christmas Eve night a cold-hearted miser is visited by four ghosts. Transported to worlds past, present and future, Ebenezer Scrooge witnesses what a lifetime of fear and selfishness has led to and sees with fresh eyes the lonely life he has built for himself. Can Ebenezer be saved before it's too late?

An uplifting story for families aged 11+, this essential festive treat is vividly brought to the stage in a big-hearted production full of music and cheer.

Rhys Ifans' work as an actor encompasses stage, television and film. His theatre credits include King Lear (The Old Vic), Protest Song, Volpone and Under Milk Wood (National Theatre), Don Juan in Soho, Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Bad Finger (Donmar Warehouse), Beautiful Thing (Duke of York Theatre), Thyestes (Royal Court), Smoke and Poison Pen (Manchester Royal Exchange). Film includes Snowdon, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Dominion, Len and Company, Under Milk Wood, Serena, Another Me, The Amazing Spider- Man, The Five-Year Engagement, Anonymous, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Greenberg, The Boat that Rocked, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Hannibal Rising, Once Upon a Time in the Midlands, Human Nature, The Shipping News, Hotel, The Replacements, Notting Hill (BAFTA nominated) and he will be appearing in The Parting Glass later in 2017. Television includes Berlin Station, Not Only But Always (BAFTA Award for Best Actor), Shakespeare Shorts, Trial and Retribution, The Two Franks, Judas and the Gimp, Nightshift, Spatz, Burning Love, Review and Gifted.

Matthew Warchus is a director of theatre, opera and film who has directed award-winning productions for many of the major British theatre companies. He was an Associate Director at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and was an Artistic Associate at The Old Vic before being appointed in 2014 to succeed Kevin Spacey as Artistic Director of the theatre. Matthew's extensive theatre credits include 'Art', Groundhog Day (Olivier Award for Best New Musical), The Master Builder, The Caretaker and Future Conditional (The Old Vic), Matilda The Musical (RSC, West End and Broadway, 7 Olivier Awards, including Best Director and Best New Musical, and 4 Tony Awards), Ghost: The Musical and La Bête (West End and Broadway); Deathtrap (West End), The Norman Conquests (The Old Vic, West End and Broadway, Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play), God of Carnage (West End and Broadway, Tony Award for Best Play and Best Direction of a Play), Boeing Boeing (West End, Broadway and UK tour, Tony Award for Best Revival of a play and Olivier nomination for Best Revival of a Play); Speed-the-Plow (The Old Vic); the theatrical adaptation of The Lord of the Rings (also co-writer, West End), Buried Child (National Theatre), Endgame (Albery Theatre), Our House (Cambridge Theatre, Olivier Award for Best Musical), Follies (Broadway), Life x 3 (National Theatre, The Old Vic and Broadway), True West (Donmar Warehouse and Broadway, Tony nominations for Best Director and Best Play), The Unexpected Man (RSC, West End and Broadway), 'Art' (Broadway, West End, Los Angeles, Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Play), Hamlet and Henry V (RSC), Volpone (National Theatre, Evening Standard Award for Best Director), Much Ado About Nothing (West End), Betrayal, Death of a Salesman, The Plough Beyond the Stars, Fiddler on the Roof and Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf (West Yorkshire Playhouse).

Opera credits include Falstaff and Così Fan Tutte (ENO) and The Rake's Progress (ROH and WNO). Matthew directed feature films Pride (2014, BIFA Best British Independent Film, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated) and Simpatico (1999).

Jack Thorne's recent work includes Woyzeck (The Old Vic), Junkyard (Bristol Old Vic), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (SFP Productions/Harry Potter West End Theatrical, Evening Standard, WhatsOnstage, South Bank Show and Olivier Award 2016-7), The Solid Life Of Sugar Water (Graeae Theatre Company, Edinburgh Festival & UK Tour), Hope (Royal Court), Let The Right One In (Dundee Rep/ Royal Court, NTS/Marla Rubin Ltd.), The Borough (Punchdrunk/Aldeburgh Festival), Stuart: A Life Backwards (adapt. Hightide/Sheffield Theatres - Edinburgh Festival & UK tour), Mydidae (Drywrite - Soho Theatre/ Trafalgar Studios), The Physicists (adapt. Donmar Warehouse), Bunny (nabokov - UK tour/New York), Red Car Blue Car, Two Cigarettes, When You Cure Me (Bush Theatre), Greenland (National Theatre), 2nd May 1997 (Bush/nabokov), Burying Your Brother in the Pavement (NT Connections), Stacy (Tron/Arcola/Trafalgar Studios) and Fanny and Faggot (Pleasance Edinburgh/Finborough/Trafalgar Studios).Television work includes National Treasure (Best Mini Series - BAFTA 2017, Royal Television Society Award 2017), The Last Panthers, Don't Take My Baby (Best Single - Bafta 2016), Glue, The Fades (Best Drama Series - BAFTA 2012), This Is England '90 (Best Serial - Bafta 2016, Royal Television Society Award 2016), This Is England '88 (Best Mini-Series - BAFTA 2012) and This is England '86, Cast-Offs and episodes of Skins and Shameless. Films include Wonder, War Book, A Long Way Down and The Scouting Book for Boys, which premiered at the 2010 London Film Festival and won the Best British Newcomer Award.