Leeds Playhouse’s Christmas spectacular has arrived, and let’s just say it did not disappoint.
A Christmas Carol has been given a new breath of life, reshaped into something unmistakably Northern. Gone are the sooted streets of London; instead, we’re plunged into the grime and grind of a Yorkshire woollen mill, where Scrooge sits not in a counting house but in the metallic belly of industry.
A glowing clock presides above him, ticking away both the hours and his shrinking compassion. The space is all gantries, grates and smoke, a reminder that Dickens’ moral fable is rooted in labour, profit, and those left out in the cold.
Even with this industrial heft, the production never feels heavy. Amy Leach’s direction, paired with Deborah McAndrew’s adaptation, allows fantasy to intertwine with heartbreaking realism.
Image: Supplied
Music becomes the heartbeat of this world. The familiar comfort of carols mingles with original compositions, played live and used sparingly to deepen rather than dominate.
What truly distinguishes this version, however, is how it listens to its characters. Deaf performers and British Sign Language are woven into the language of gesture; it becomes an emotional fabric across the piece. The Cratchit household offers the most beautiful example.
Stephen Collins and Nadia Nadarajah carry the scene with stunning clarity. At one point, Scrooge watches his present unfold in a fully signed sequence, and a void of silence opens up. Without hearing a word of dialogue, the audience understands every raw emotion on stage. It is captivating, powerful, and profoundly human.
Image: Supplied
Reece Dinsdale steers Scrooge’s journey with striking precision: not just a miser thawing, but a man realising the human cost of his indifference. Around him, the ensemble radiates warmth, wit and seasonal mischief, from playful ghosts to factory workers. The darker realities of industrial poverty are never ignored, yet the show refuses to let bleakness win. These themes feel sharply resonant today, remarkably relevant to the hierarchies and inequalities we still recognise within the UK.
Overall, this production is crafted with care, from its acting to its breathtaking set. But it is its accuracy and attention to inclusivity that allow us to reflect on ourselves and on how easily we take simple things for granted. Leeds Playhouse has once again created a raw and deeply evocative piece of theatre. At times, it leans towards something almost pantomime-esque but after all, it is Christmas.
Image: Supplied
Personally, I believe the show could thrive even further outside the festive season, leaning into darker tones hinted at by its industrial setting and haunting music. Still, as a family Christmas show, the blend of grim reality with whimsical charm is clever and effective, with playful props, colourful costumes, and moments of light-hearted comedy.
That balance is the production’s greatest achievement: it remembers that Christmas is both a celebration and a responsibility. Leeds Playhouse has delivered a festive tale with grit, heart, and a distinctly northern soul, one that encourages us to look more closely at ourselves, our loved ones, and even strangers during the season.
Running until 17 January 2026. Tickets available via the Leeds Playhouse website.
Read more: Stockeld Park is hosting its most magical Christmas Adventure yet and everyone is invited
Featured image - Press images
Christmas
Tesco unveils Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026 and confirms official launch date
Tesco has officially unveiled its Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026, and has revealed when it’ll be arriving in stores.
Spooky season may not have even arrived yet, but it won’t be long before the most wonderful time of the year is here and most of the UK’s major supermarkets have already started stocking their shelves with Christmas food, drink, and gifts galore.
Tesco has now unveiled all the sandwiches and snacks forming part of its iconic lunchtime meal deal selection.
10 new seasonal mains and sides have been launched this year, as well as some classics and returning fan favourites too.
Images: Tesco
The retailer says its food on-the-go experts have worked hard to bring a variety of festive flavours and great-quality ingredients together this year, with something on offer to cater to all tastes and preferences.
Available in stores and online from next week, with Tesco Clubcard members paying just £3.80 or £5.50 to upgrade to a Premium Meal Deal, some of the all-new main options you can choose from in 2026’s festive lineup include the Fully Loaded Chicken, Stuffing, Braised Red Cabbage & Cranberry Sauce Sandwich, the Christmas Triple Sandwich, and the Pork Meatball Wrap with smoky sage and onion mayonnaise.
Other returning favourites include the Brie and Cranberry Sandwich, the Currywurst Sausage Sub, and the absolute classic Turkey & Trimmings Sandwich.
For veggies and vegans, there’s a new Tesco Plant Chef Christmas Veg Fest Wrap, and for those who follow a gluten free diet, you can grab the Gluten Free Festive Chicken & Trimmings sandwich.
When it comes to snacks to accompany those mains, the festive Mini Pork Pies and Pig in Blanket Sausage Rolls are returning to the lineup this year, alongside some new additions like the Pretzels with Salted Caramel Soft Cheese Dip, and Mini Cheese Twists.
The 2026 Tesco Christmas Meal Deal range will be in stores across the UK from Monday 12 October, and there’s thousands of combinations to try.
Yorkshire-set Christmas film by Leeds director starring Richard E. Grant set to hit UK cinemas next month
Clementine Hall
A brand-new Christmas film is hitting cinemas nationwide next month - and it’s a proper Leeds success story.
Jack Spring directed his first feature film at just 19 years old and has spent the last decade carving out a career in independent film, as well as co-founding Leeds-based production company Shush Films.
His first movie, Destination: Dewsbury, was shot just down the road in - you guessed it - Dewsbury. And after moving to Leeds from Grimsby, Jack became determined to build his business from the city, putting down roots and growing his production company here.
Image: Supplied
Now, after years of working on independent projects, Jack has taken his biggest leap yet with a brand-new Christmas film, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint.
Set in Yorkshire, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint follows Aubrey Flint, a reclusive model soldier painter with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, who is sentenced to community service at Willow Lodge - a retirement home on the brink of closure.
Roped into helping with a chaotic production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Aubrey clashes with its interesting set of residents...
And the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, featuring Richard E. Grant, John Bradley, Celia Imrie, Adjoa Andoh, Sophia Di Martino, Adrian Rawlins and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Image: Supplied
The heartwarming festive comedy will hit cinemas nationwide on Friday 6 November - a huge milestone for a Leeds-based director and production company, taking a homegrown Yorkshire story to audiences across the country.
You just can't beat a proper wholesome British Christmas film, so you can best believe we'll be watching in the cinema, popcorn in hand.
Declan Kelly -
6th December 2025 
