Leeds Playhouse announces spell-binding cast for A Christmas Carol
Leeds Playhouse audiences will be treated to a spell-binding cast in its magical production of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol.
The production takes to the Quarry Theatre stage from Thursday, November 20, until January 17, 2026, and promises a heart-warming redemptive journey with a host of ghosts and a generous sprinkle of glittering charm.
Director Amy Leach said: “Casting A Christmas Carol has been a joy and I can't wait to work with this brilliant team of actors who will bring festive joy to Leeds this Christmas. They are an incredible, multi-talented ensemble including highly skilled singers, dancers and instrumentalists. We're also thrilled to have an exceptional team of creatives working on this show and I know that everyone, on and off stage, is going to create something really special together."
From the terraces of Elland Road to the streets of Victorian Yorkshire, Reece Dinsdale makes a striking return to Leeds Playhouse for A Christmas Carol as Ebenezer Scrooge. Fresh from his heartfelt performance as Howard in Through It All Together – a moving tribute to football, family, and resilience – he will now step into the iconic role of Scrooge, bringing his trademark depth and northern grit to Dickens’ timeless tale.
He will be joined on stage by Stephen Collins and Nadia Nadarajah as Bob and Mrs Cratchit. They both previously played the roles in 2020, when the Playhouse production was filmed and shared with audiences during the Covid lockdown. Stephen was last seen at the Playhouse as Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist, while Nadia recently played Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra at Shakespeare’s Globe.
West End stars Claudia Kariuki (Pearl in Shucked, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre; Jane Seymour in Six – The Musical, West End; Sister Act The Musical, West End) will play Christmas Present, with Obioma Ugoala (George Washington in Hamilton, Cameron Mackintosh Ltd; Kristoff in Frozen) as Marley/Fezziwig.
The cast also includes Bea Glancy (What If If Only, Royal Exchange) as Christmas Past; Paul Brown (Mr Snow and Macbeth, Leeds Playhouse) as Dick Wilkins/Topper; Danny Colligan (Jackie!! Gilded Balloon Patter House, Edinburgh) as Fred/Young Scrooge; Finton Flynn (Shooting Star: A new musical, Ryan Lenney) as Peter Cratchit; and Amy Forrest (After the Flood ITV; Small Island National Theatre) as Belle/Mrs Fred.
Completing the adult cast are actor/musicians: Jon Bonner (The Flood AKA Theatre Co/Leeds Playhouse); Music Captain Matthew James Hinchliffe (Toxic Town, Netflix; As Long as we are breathing, Arcola Theatre); Esther Lim (making her stage debut); and Rosie Strobel (42nd Street, Kilworth House Theatre).
The casting process is still ongoing for the role of Tiny Tim. (Applications are now closed)