Berkshire


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson2.jpg" alt="a christmas carol reading rep theatre review" class="wp-image-84753" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson2.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson2-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson2-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson2-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson2-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Bah, humbug! Running until 3 Jan 2026, the fantastic revival of Beth Flintoff’s <em><a href="https://www.readingrep.com/whats-on/a-christmas-carol-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Christmas Carol</a></em> adaptation is back at Reading Rep Theatre (first debuting back in 2022), and let me just start by saying, it&#8217;s an absolute joy to watch. No explanation of the plot necessary. A crusty bloke has a weird thing against Christmas, an intervention of paranormal proportions unfolds, Tiny Tim thrives and survives, and bam, suddenly Ebenezer is feral for a turkey sarnie. Turns out even the grouchiest of grinches can be convinced of the magic of Christmas when facing the wrath of ghosts from the past, present and the future.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson6.jpg" alt="reading rep christmas show" class="wp-image-84757" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson6.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson6-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson6-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson6-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson6-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>There&#8217;s always something comforting about watching a familiar tale play out on stage, and this version, directed by Chris Cuming, has been slapped with a sprinkling of Reading magic. Local biscuit heavyweights Huntley and Palmer form the setting of the show, being the company and factory in which the main characters work for. I loved the way a few Christmas carols performed by the cast eased the audience seamlessly into the show, inviting us all into the magic with a sing-along. Very sweet.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson8.jpg" alt="christmas shows near me" class="wp-image-84759" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson8.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson8-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson8-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson8-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson8-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>This is no shoddy, amateur production. From the costumes to the beautifully designed set (thanks to Nicky Bunch), it&#8217;s an incredibly professional job that literally transports you to Victorian Britain. The set comprises of a series of illuminated building cutouts (of Reading) that feature extracts from the original <em>A Christmas Carol</em> novel. It&#8217;s simple but very effective.</p>



<p>But what propels this production to stratospheric heights is by far the level of talent on stage. The acting was absolutely sublime. Each actor exuded a magnetic presence with off the chart levels of charisma. It&#8217;s impossible to pick a standout. George Eggay plays the main man himself &#8211; a fantastic Scrooge that&#8217;s equal parts detestable yet pitiful, making his redemption arc all the more satisfying.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson12.jpg" alt="a christmas carol reading rep theatre review" class="wp-image-84763" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson12.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson12-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson12-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson12-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson12-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Mark Desebrock was phenomenal, particularly as the outlandish Ghost of Christmas Present. He provided the comic relief from a production that was dark and almost frightening at times with its loud noises and sequence featuring a chained-up Palmer who returns from the dead. A shout out to the brilliant Charlotte Warner too who was just hilarious.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson7.jpg" alt="christmas shows in reading" class="wp-image-84758" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson7.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson7-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson7-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson7-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/AChristmasCarol_ReadingRepTheatre_Credit_HarryElletson7-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Sitting at a merry 105 minutes plus an interval, the production felt like the perfect length to keep engagement levels high, while allowing enough time to revel in Scrooge&#8217;s miraculous personality transplant at the end. The transition between ghosts and various time frames is imaginatively done, and honestly, I was just gripped throughout. Clearly, I wasn&#8217;t the only one. As the audience filtered out, warm, happy, and joyfully energised, I overheard people already planning their return visit to watch it again with other loved ones. I can&#8217;t blame them.</p>



<p>Ultimately, Reading Rep&#8217;s production is a beautiful testament to the enduring appeal of Charles Dicken&#8217;s <em>A Christmas Carol</em>, and a shining example of why audiences will continue to return for more, time and time again. Five stars? Absolutely.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



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<p><strong>Good for:</strong>&nbsp;A feel-good, cosy show that screams Christmas cheer. It&#8217;s literally impossible not to feel gooey and warm inside after this sublime reimagining. </p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong>&nbsp;Those seeking the light comic relief of your more traditional panto. There are loud noises, smoke, and flashing lights, and younger children may find certain scenes a little scary.</p>



<p><strong><em>Grab your tickets to see <a href="https://www.readingrep.com/whats-on/a-christmas-carol-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Christmas Carol</a> at Reading Rep Theatre <a href="https://www.readingrep.com/whats-on/a-christmas-carol-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. On until 3 Jan 2026.</em></strong> <strong><em>Prices from £5. </em></strong></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-feeling-festive">FEELING FESTIVE?</h2>



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Review: A Christmas Carol, Reading Rep Theatre

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