British theatre stars Sir Derek Jacobi and Dame Diana Rigg will lead the cast in a comedic take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol over the festive period.
British stage stars Sir Derek Jacobi and Dame Diana Rigg are set to star in a new comic take on Charles Dickens' classic tale A Christmas Carol.
The hour-long festive special, A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, will be produced by Olivier Award-winning Mischief Theatre Company and is the company's first original TV piece.
The show will air on the BBC over Christmas and will feature Mischief Theatre's trademark mix of farce and physical comedy.
The BBC explains the plot as follows: "Blacklisted by the BBC after ruining Peter Pan, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are not taking their ban lying down and force themselves back on the BBC by hijacking the jewel of the Christmas schedule, a 'live' production of A Christmas Carol staged by a professional cast.
"The following hour finds the Cornley gang trying to make the show work on 'live' television as they soon realise they are completely out of their depth with no idea how to direct a live studio or handle special effects and are having their own internal rivalries revealed on television. Plus, there's an angry professional cast trying to get back into the studio."
Derek Jacobi plays infamous miser Ebenezer Scrooge... until the show is hijacked by the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and he is hauled out while on air. Diana Rigg meanwhile will play the aunt of Sandra, one of the Cornley crew. She will also step in as the narrator.
Diana says: "I can't wait to bring merriment and mischief to audiences this Christmas, with the wonderful Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society. And I have also been entrusted with another very important job - all will be revealed soon but let's just say hearts will be warmed this winter!"
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong will air on BBC One over the festive period.
