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2023/24 Season – 30th Anniversary CHARLES DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL
An Original Adaptation by Anthony Lawton In Collaboration with Christopher Colucci and Thom Weaver In Association with Mirror Theatre Company
December 2 - 27, 2023
ON SALE IN JULY 2023
In this wonderfully clear and direct telling of Charles Dickens' beloved novella, acclaimed playwright and actor Anthony Lawton brings the story vividly to life as only theater can. Come rediscover Dickens' timeless story of a miser's miraculous redemption from a life of bitterness, greed, and isolation. Back by popular demand for its sixth year, this heartwarming adaptation has captured the hearts of theater critics and audiences alike, inspiring a new Philadelphia holiday tradition.
"Electrifying!" –The Wall Street Journal "A 95-minute masterpiece. Brilliantly performed and staged." –Philadelphia Inquirer
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A CHRISTMAS CAROL on THE LANTERN SEARCHLIGHT BLOG
Our dramaturgical articles are hosted on Medium and will load in a new browser tab – no sign-in required FROM THE ARCHIVES
Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol The fascinating circumstances surrounding the writing of the quintessential holiday classic
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Anthony Lawton as the Storyteller
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Anthony Lawton, Co-Creator •
Christopher Colucci, Co-Creator / Sound Designer •
Thom Weaver, Co-Creator / Scenic & Lighting Designer •
Kierceton Keller, Costume Designer
![]() ![]() NEWS & REVIEWS
"Electrifying! Mr. Lawton, who wears clown-like makeup to emphasize how absurd Scrooge's fanatical miserliness is, gives a performance that is deliberately high-strung, at times almost expressionistic (it made me think of Robin Williams at his best). Every element of the design is unobtrusive but nonetheless powerfully atmospheric... I found it electrifying, and it confirmed my determination to go see a Lantern production in person as soon as I can." –Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal more "A 95-minute masterpiece. Brilliantly performed and staged... The program notes remind us that [Dickens] used to perform his own solo adaptations of A Christmas Carol to appreciative spectators. Lawton is a worthy heir to this tradition, leaving the audience teary-eyed and prompting one woman to gasp: 'Oh, gosh. That was absolutely wonderful.'" –Philadelphia Inquirer more "Lantern Theater Company's one-person adaptation – devised by actor Anthony Lawton, set and lighting maven Thom Weaver, and sound designer Christopher Colucci – blows the dust off the familiar Dickens tale, revealing fresh, invigorating layers of meaning. It privileges simple storytelling, with a clear intent and a strong message, in the hands of a first-rate performer." –Broad Street Review more "Anthony Lawton's A Christmas Carol is this year's holiday must-see. Marvelous, even revelatory... Takes a familiar story that time and acquaintance have rendered perilously close to kitsch and brings it electrifyingly to life. God bless us, every one! But especially Tony Lawton, who has given Philadelphia a gorgeous holiday gift – one that I hope returns year after year." –Reclining Standards more "Great theater. Stripped down to its most fundamental elements...Dickens' classic story is dark and unexpectedly wrenching. In the end it is Lawton's ability to reveal so much about a story we thought we knew so well that makes this production...remarkable." –Talkin' Broadway more ![]()
Header Photo: Paul L. Nolan, Sally Mercer, and Charles McMahon in Copenhagen (2018); Charlie DelMarcelle, Anthony Lawton, Jered McLenigan, and Brian Anthony Wilson in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (2019); Anthony Lawton and Paul L. Nolan in The Craftsman (2017); and Bi Jean Ngo and Peter DeLaurier in The Tempest (2018). Photos by Mark Garvin.
Lantern Theater Company acknowledges that it is situated on Lenapehoking, the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Unami Lenape, and we pay respect to them as this region's original storytellers. ©2023 Lantern Theater Company Privacy Policy |