There’s something exciting about A Christmas Carol returning to the Melbourne theatre each year. Much like the season itself, Charles Dickens’ timeless tale has a way of circling back with a sense of familiar comfort, but the Old Vic’s acclaimed production manages to make that return feel exciting rather than routine. Back at the Comedy Theatre for a festive season run from 22 November to 29 December, this year’s production continues the show’s streak of charm, theatrical splendour, and emotional resonance, reaffirming why we keep coming back year after year to this spectacular show.
Directed by Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical) and adapted by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), this version of A Christmas Carol has become a local holiday staple, the masterful way it blends traditional storytelling with dynamic staging and 12 classic Christmas carols, including beautifully performed renditions of Joy to the World and Silent Night. It’s seamless, spirited, and bursting with festive warmth to warm the coldest of Melbourne’s summer days. The cast brings Dickens’ classic tale to life with a blend of heart, humour, and theatrical enchantment that makes it feel both timeless and newly invigorated. It’s the kind of Christmas show that sweeps you in from the moment the lights dim, letting candlelit shadows, soaring carols, and Victorian textures transport you straight into a wintry London night.
At the centre of it all is Lachy Hulme as Ebenezer Scrooge, offering a performance rich with grit and emotional authenticity. His transformation from bitter miser to humbled, joyful man feels layered and lived-in, bringing something new to the performance that truly makes his final moments of redemption truly resonate.
The supporting cast brings tremendous warmth, crafting a storyworld that feels communal and lived in. Tony Cogin delivers a memorably chilling Jacob Marley, an all-wiry menace and mournful echoes; he also doubles as Scrooge’s cruel father with equal intensity, and perhaps the most evil and terrifying version of this character to date. Natasha Herbert’s Ghost of Christmas Past provides ethereal wistfulness. At the same time, Samantha Morley’s Ghost of Christmas Present infuses the show with cheeky humour and a vibrant joy that echoes throughout the theatre. Their interplay with Scrooge provides some of the evening’s most engaging beats, and you can’t help but feel that the cast had a lot of fun putting this show together.
Young Emily Robinson shines as Little Fan, her tenderness grounding the emotional journey through Scrooge’s early memories. Andrew Coshan injects lightness and optimism as Fred, Scrooge’s ever-hopeful nephew, while Clare Warrillow brings warmth and a quiet strength to Belle, the love Scrooge let slip away. The Cratchit family, always the emotional anchor of Dickens’ tale, delivers beautifully understated moments that gently remind the audience of the compassion and humanity at the core of this story. No matter what is happening around Scrooge and the supernatural craziness, it is all anchored by the Cratchits’ performances.
Rob Howell’s staging is next level with candlelit hues that wash the stage in an aetherial glow. At the same time, shadows from chains drape the backdrop, hinting at the darker moral lessons lurking beneath the festivities. Hugh Vanstone’s evocative lighting charts his inner turmoil with precision; the swirling lanterns, one of the production’s most stunning touches, lift the story and performances, truly cementing this as the best production of this show to date. The feeling of togetherness, love and festive warmth that echoed through the theatre at this moment is one of the best in Melbourne’s theatre history, and definitely one of the standouts of this year’s local theatre run.
For all its reverence toward Dickens’ original text, Warchus’ production also embraces playful surprises. There is plenty of audience interaction, and delightfully exaggerated comedic beats keep the show lively and contemporary without compromising the richness of the source material. It’s a delicate balance that pays off, reminding us that the story’s longevity is not just due to its moral lessons but also to its theatricality.
If there’s one limitation, it’s that the production occasionally leans a little heavily into spectacle when the quieter emotional beats could be given more space. But the overall effect remains deeply charming and undeniably moving. That being said, the effects of snowfall, a ceiling full of lanterns, dropping food and vanishing objects among various other mechanics, do help the show feel grand in scale.
A Christmas Carol cements itself as a theatrical cornerstone of Melbourne theatre; this year’s production offers true escapism by letting you forget about the world for several hours and be whisked away to one of the best shows on the Melbourne theatre scene in 2025.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
A Christmas Carol runs until 24 December at the Comedy Theatre, 240 Exhibition Street, Melbourne.
You can purchase tickets and view showtimes HERE
Header image credit: Michelle Hunder
The author attended the show on November 30.
