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
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Christmas
Major plans announced for Leeds Christmas Markets 2026 – food, drinks, stalls and more
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just two months' time and some major plans and changes have been announced.
Although Pop Princess Zara Larsson might want us to believe "Summer isn't over yet", it's safe to say that the recent downpours we've had across West Yorkshire disagree.
Leeds Christmas Markets are also ringing in the new season with a jam-packed video posted to social media announcing all the current plans and changes for its 2026 schedule.
This year, outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi are stepping up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular and are organising a celebration where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November with plenty of Yorkshire-centric stalls / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
In a video uploaded to its social accounts, foodie expert and Little Bao Boy Founder James 'Jimmy Chews' Ooi was given the honour of revealing all these exciting plans.
Informing everyone that "You best come hungry", Ooi noted that some of the phenomenal vendors taking part include La Grassa and The Savvy Baker.
Real Markets Yorkshire and Stump Cross Caverns are also getting into the Christmas spirit and setting up their own stalls at Leeds City Square this November.
La Grassa is just one of many familiar foodie faces returning to Leeds Christmas Markets / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Rated restaurants and bars are contributing to the festive frenzy too, like Cabaret Thursdays at Italian restaurant Bibi's and beer garden destination Green Room are hosting singalongs at Leeds Christmas Markets.
There will be plenty of activities for families happening all around the unofficial capital of West Yorkshire like elf-themed scavenger hunts, various elves on various shelves and lots of live music.
If it wasn't apparent already, in the words of Jimmy Chews himself, there's about to be "So much Christmas that Mariah Carey is going to look like the Grinch".
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November and there will be plenty of exciting announcements to the upcoming celebrations ahead of the big day.
Popular TV channel playing Christmas films 24/7 is now back on air in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Think it's too early for 'C word'? Never mind, you've already clicked on this article.
Sure, we may only be into our second full week of September, but given the fact the weather these past couple of days hasn't exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner - but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, it’ll soon be too tricky to escape from.
Especially not when the famous TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop is now back on air in the UK.
Yes, you heard that right - Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and in welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there's arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that's charmed audiences for over half a decade now.
GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, and it's now live on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media.
You can expect almost four months of back-to-back seasonal movies.
The 24-hour feel-good and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films - including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Viewers will find GREAT! Christmas on Freeview channel 51, Sky 319, Sky (Glass/Stream) 317, Virgin channel 424, and Freely channel 47.
Declan Kelly -
6th December 2025 
