Adapted and performed by Clive Francis
Birmingham Town Hall
Sunday 17 December 2017
Mill Studio, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Wednesday 20th December, 8pm
Thursday 21st – Saturday 23rd December, 6pm & 8pm
Sunday 24th December, 6pm
Tuesday 26th December, 6pm & 8pm
Box office
Clive first encountered Ebenezer Scrooge eighteen years ago when he was invited to play him for the RSC in a huge, lavish production adapted by John Mortimer. It was, as the Sunday Times reported, ‘a success the size of a giant Christmas tree appealing to the grown-up in the children and the child in the grown-ups…’
In Clive’s words - ‘Once played, never forgotten. Once you have trod the “path of jagged flints and stones laid down by Scrooge's brutal ignorance”, it's hard to get the old boy out of your head’. Hence why he has decided to adapt the story into a show for himself.
2015
RICHMOND SURREY
Orange Tree Theatre
Sunday 13th December
5pm & 7.30pm SOLD OUT
LES CABANNES, FRANCE
Theatre le Columbier
Thursday 17th December 7.30pm
BIRMINGHAM
Town Hall
Sunday 20th December 8pm
GUILDFORD
Mill Studio, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Mon 21st December, 8pm SOLD OUT
Tues 22nd December, 6pm & 8pm SOLD OUT
Wed 23rd December, 6pm & 8pm SOLD OUT
Thurs 24th December, 6pm SOLD OUT
Sat 26th December, 6pm & 8pm SOLD OUT
2016
BATH
Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal
Saturday 2nd January, 2.30pm and 7.30pm.
Sunday 3rd. 1.30 & 5.00pm
A sleight of hand in which, before our very eyes,
he fills an empty stage with an entire Dickensian landscape.
Simply magic!
Alan Ayckbourn
A wonderful, wonderful Scrooge.
John Mortimer
★★★★
...performance of his career...
Daily Telegraph
★★★★
...touches the heart...
Independent
★★★★
...wondrous old skinflint...
The Daily mail
★★★★
Spellbinding!
The Sunday Times
★★★★
This astonishing actor was superb and Birmingham's tightly packed Town Hall
thronged to shouts of 'bravo'.
Birmingham Post
★★★★
Clive Francis’ storytelling is as fresh, ingenious and enthralling as if it had only this minute sprung to life.
The Irish Times
★★★★
Clive Francis has put together the definitive version of A Christmas Carol
and I never ever want to see another.
This is The One.
Remotegoat
★★★★
Clive Francis' Scrooge is the best!
Birmingham Mail
★★★★
Francis gives an invigorated, immaculate and heart-warmig account of A Christmas Carol.
Despite fears that a modern audience does not have the attention span for a 70 minute storytelling,
this performance will enrapture the most nomadic of minds.
The Irish Sunday Times
★★★★
The splendid array of melodrama, comedy and rapport with the audience
carries the packed house along on at a good pace which never falters.
What's On Stage
★★★★
Francis got through to my flinty heart and gave it a resonating tap -
the magic of Dickens' story invigorated my waning Christmas spirit,
and it's Francis' marvellous adaptation and performance that made that happy.
So less of the "bah, humbug" - if you want some classic Christmas cheer,
Francis is the person to give it to you.
One Stop Arts.