Christopher Eccleston will take to the stage in the leading role in Matthew Warchus’ adaption of A Christmas Carol, written by Jack Thorne, when it returns to the Old Vic later this year.

The Doctor Who actor said he felt “very lucky” to portray Ebeneezer Scrooge in the stage production, which will play for the seventh time at the Old Vic from November 11 2023 to January 6 2024.

Previous actors to take on the role include Rhys Ifans, Owen Teale, Andrew Lincoln, Stephen Mangan and Paterson Joseph.

Eccleston, who is currently playing Fagin in the BBC’s Dodger, a TV series based on Oliver Twist, said: “As a child, I read and watched every and any version of A Christmas Carol because of a fascination with Scrooge’s psychology.

“As a young actor, I read everything I could about the legendary Old Vic.

“I’m a very lucky man to be part of this production and cannot wait to meet our audiences.”

A Christmas Carol, the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens, tells the story of how the miserly Scrooge becomes a kinder man through encounters with ghosts of his former business partner Jacob Marley and of the Christmas past, present, and yet to come.

Warchus, artistic director of the Old Vic, said he was “delighted” to return to Thorne’s script, which he has directed for the theatre’s Christmas season every year since 2017.

He said: “‘Jack Thorne’s joyful adaptation of A Christmas Carol is a feast for the eyes, mind and heart.

“Already seen by over half a million people globally, this love-filled production continues to snowball in popularity; indeed, more people booked to see the show last year than ever before.

“This year I am delighted to be working with Christopher Eccleston in the role of Scrooge and to be bringing back all the music, magic and festive joy for audiences old and new.’