An all-star ensemble including Adjoa Andoh, Jim Broadbent and Emma Corrin will perform a one-night-only live reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at London’s Lyric Theatre on 7 December. The event, directed by Bessie Carter, aims to raise funds for Crisis and support people experiencing homelessness.

The Lyric Theatre will host a star-studded charity reading of A Christmas Carol on Monday 7 December, featuring actors such as Paapa Essiedu, Alex Lawther, Matthew Macfadyen, Bella Ramsey, Tanya Reynolds, Imelda Staunton and Grace Savage. This one-off live performance, under the direction of Bridgerton’s Bessie Carter, brings together well-known stage and screen actors to present Dickens’ festive classic.

All proceeds will benefit Crisis, the homelessness charity that provides housing advice, employment opportunities and training for those facing homelessness. The event draws inspiration from Charles Dickens himself, who began performing public readings of A Christmas Carol in 1853 as charity events, delivering the story over 120 times in his lifetime.

Bessie Carter, who is also a Crisis supporter, highlighted the continuing relevance of Dickens’ story. She said many families today face the same fundamental choices Dickens described nearly 200 years ago. Carter emphasised the event’s purpose: to raise vital funds so Crisis can help people move out of homelessness.

Adjoa Andoh echoed this sentiment, describing A Christmas Carol as a story grounded in compassion and a powerful reminder of life’s precariousness. She expressed her enthusiasm about performing alongside a stellar cast in support of people facing homelessness during the Christmas season.

Matt Downie, Crisis chief executive, expressed profound gratitude towards the cast and the audience. He noted Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol nearly two centuries ago to encourage society’s compassion towards the vulnerable during festive times—a message still urgently needed given the scale of homelessness today.

Tickets for this charity reading go on sale at midday on Tuesday 1 September, with the performance scheduled for the evening of 7 December at the Lyric Theatre in London. The event stands as a poignant reminder of Dickens’ enduring legacy and Crisis’s ongoing work supporting those without a home.