Sir Simon Russell Beale to double up on A Christmas Carol on stage and screen

Sir Simon Russell Beale will star in two A Christmas Carol productions this winter, appearing in a three man stage show and a star-studded new film version.

Alongside actors Patsy Ferran and Eben Figueiredo, the English stage actor, who was made a CBE in 2003 for his services to the Arts, will play all the parts in the theatre show.

The new version of the Dickens classic, devised and directed by Nicholas Hytner, will run from November 27 to January 16 2021 at the Bridge Theatre, with evenings at 7pm and matinees at 4pm.

A Christmas Eve matinee will also take place at 2pm.

The set has been designed by Olivier Award winner Bunny Christie, with costume designs by Rose Revitt who also acts as set design associate.

The Bridge theatre will have 250 social distanced seats available and apply with the current Tier Two coronavirus measures, they said.

Sir Simon will also play the voice of Scrooge in a new cinematic adaptation of the story directed by siblings Jacqui and David Morris.

The film, also starring Martin Freeman, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Kaluuya and Andy Serkis, features dance performances by former Royal Ballet Principal Michael Nunn as Scrooge.

Speaking about the film, which will depict Scrooge’s past in a new light, Sir Simon said: “His background is shown, his history is shown and the reasons why he’s turned out to be the sort of man he is is shown, and I found that very moving.

“The vision of him as a boy, the relationship with his sister, explains a lot about him.”

A Christmas Carol will air in cinemas and select theatre venues nationwide from November 20. The decision to show the adaptation both on screen and on stage is to support the struggling industries during the coronavirus pandemic, the directors said.

“As families have bonded and are staying closely-knit during the pandemic, and although streaming platforms have been great through lockdown, now’s the time for families to get lost in an immersive film in a way that only cinema can provide,” said Director Jacqui Morris.