HOWARD CHADWICK Jacob Marley / Mr Fezziwig

Trained at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

For Claybody Theatre: The Card (Fenton Town Hall 2022; New Vic Theatre 2023); Digging In (2015)

Other Theatre credits: Pride and Prejudice , The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Jungle Book (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester); The Borrowers, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Lancaster Dukes); One Man, Two Guvners, The Card, Brassed Off, Inherit the Wind, I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire (New Vic); Beauty and the Beast (Assembly Hall Tunbridge Wells); Brassed Off (Durham Gala Theatre); Sleeping Beauty (Derby Arena);By Jeeves (Old Laundry Theatre); Macbeth, Othello (Stafford Castle); Hard Times, She Stoops to Conquer, The Grand Gesture, A Government Inspector (Northern Broadsides); The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (Sherman Theatre, Cardiff); Brassed Off (Derby Theatre); Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, All’s Well That Ends Well, Macbeth, Measure For Measure, Richard II (Lancaster Castle); Aladdin, Beauty And The Beast, Dick Whittington, Snow White, The Sleeping Beauty, Jack And The Beanstalk, Babes In The Wood (Harrogate Theatre); Broken Time (Three Stones Media); Twelfth Night (Cotton Grass Theatre); Hansel and Gretel, Knife Edge (Hard Graft Theatre); The Maid Of Buttermere (Theatre By The Lake); Brassed Off, Aladdin, Perfect Pitch, Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! (Oldham Coliseum); A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Way Of The World, Richard II (Royal Exchange); Shamer (Rocket Theatre); The Adventures Of Robin Hood, Beauty And The Beast (Worcester Swan); The Sandman, A Christmas Carol (Wigan Pier).

Film and Television credits: The Young Woman and the Sea (Disney) Gentlemen Jack (BBC/HBO) The Witcher (Netflix); Emmerdale, Coronation Street (ITV); 24:Seven, Doctors (BBC), Peterloo (Thin Man Films)

Radio credits : Closely Observed Trains, Buffalo Bill And Little Matty Dyer, The Good Soldier Svejk, Excluded, BBC Radio Drama.

PERRY MOORE Bob Cratchit / Dick Wilkins

Trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

This is Perry's first appearance with Claybody Theatre.

Theatre: Seal Boy (Riverside Studios); Marvellous (@Soho Place); Tom, Dick & Harry (Kenny Wax Productions); Hard Times, Cyrano (Northern Broadsides); Pride and Prejudice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Jungle Book (Chester Storyhouse); The Old Curiosity Shop (Cheltenham Everyman); Stanley at the Beaufort War Hospital, London Road (Bristol Old Vic); Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt, The Three Musketeers, Hoard, Tale Trail to Princess and the pauper, Peter Pan in Scarlet, Robin Hood and Marion, Larksong, The Throne, Unearthed (New Vic Theatre)

Television & Film: You Don’t Know Me (Netflix/BBC); Brassic (Sky One/Netflix); Doctors, Being Human (BBC); London Road (National Theatre); Unhallowed Ground (Aviary Films); Last Date (Omni Productions)

Radio: Homefront (BBC Radio 4)

PURVI PARMAR Mrs Fezziwig / Ghost of Christmas Present / Mrs Dilber

Trained at Pace University School of Performing Arts, NYC.

This is Purvi's first appearance with Claybody Theatre.

Theatre: The Book Thief (World Premier, Bolton Octagon/Leicester Curve); Come Fall in Love-The DDLJ Musical (UK Premier, Manchester Opera House); The Uncrackable Case (Pleasance 2, Edinburgh Fringe); Little Shop of Horrors (Sheffield Crucible); Twelfth Night (Shakespeare North Playhouse); Tales of the Dale (Royal Exchange, Manchester); Cinderella (Derby Theatre); Around the World in 80 Days (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick); Alice in Wonderland (New Vic, Stoke); The Jungle Book (The Dukes, Lancaster); Teechers Leavers ’22 (Hull Truck); Say Yes To Tess (Leeds Playhouse/Camden People’s Theatre); Peter Pan (Bolton Octagon); Pride and Prejudice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Jungle Book (Grosvenor Park Open Air, Storyhouse Chester); Pure (Hope Mill Theatre); One Little Word (M6 Theatre); Pashto Thriller, Number 4 (Freedom Studios, Bradford); Purge (The Lowry/Oldham Coliseum); The Secret of Christmas Eve (Oldham Theatre Workshop).

Radio: The Beatboxer, Trust, Bat Girls (BBC Radio 4)

ANDREW PRICE Ebenezer Scrooge

Trained at The Royal Scottish Conservatoire (Glasgow) and at l’École internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq (Paris).

This is Andrew's first appearance with Claybody Theatre.

Theatre includes: Othello at The RSC; Hard Times, She Stoops to Conquer, A Government Inspector, Hamlet, 1984, Northern Broadsides; Anna of The Five Towns, New Vic Theatre, Broken time, Three Stones Media; Oliver Twist, Bolton Octagon; The Grouch, West Yorkshire Playhouse; Into the Woods, Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House; Tarka the Otter, Two Moors Festival; Wizard of Oz, Chester Gateway; Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Aquila Theatre Co., New York; Christmas Carol, Liverpool Playhouse; Red Red Shoes, Unicorn; Much Ado About Nothing, Cheek by Jowl; The Devil’s Disciple, Pericles, Royal National Theatre.

Television includes: Call The Midwife, Close to the Enemy, The Genius of Mozart, Bloody Britain (BBC), Murder Investigation Team (Thames).

Film includes: StarGirl, Far From the Madding Crowd, Ma part du gâteau, Batman Begins, Vanity Fair, The Clandestine Marriage.

AVA RALPH Belle / Mrs Fred

Trained at Rose Bruford College, graduating with a BA Hons in Actor Musicianship in 2023.

Ava was born in Stoke and grew up in Newcastle-u-Lyme, where she started performing at the age of 12 in Christmas shows at the New Vic Theatre.

For Claybody Theatre: Bright Lights Over Bentilee (2024)

Theatre includes: Wizard of Oz, actor-muso family production, Directed by Lucy Bird (Summer tour, Paperback Theatre), Operation Global Cheer, immersive Christmas show Directed by Kat Hughes (St Paul’s Church, Burslem, Filament Projects); 40 Elephants, (Barnfield theatre, Front room theatre, The Gateway Theatre, Stowaway Theatre) directed by Lucy Betts; 40 Elephants, Seussical, (Greenwhich theatre), directed by Lucy Betts.

Ava is also a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She has had gig residencies in Camden, Lewisham and Lee. She is currently producing an EP with her brother.

MOLLY ROBERTS Mrs Cratchit / Ghost of Christmas Past

Trained at Guildford School of Acting and was one of The Old Vic 12.

For Claybody Theatre: The Card (2022)

Other theatre includes: The Box of Delights (RSC), Pressure (West End/UK Tour/Toronto), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Northern Stage/NTT), The Card (New Vic Theatre/Claybody), Private Peaceful (UK Tour), The Mousetrap (West End), The Box of Delights (Wilton’s Music Hall), Anna Of The Five Towns, The Snow Queen (both New Vic Theatre), Jumping Puddles (Frantic Assembly/Open Clasp, UK Tour), This Must Be The Place (Latitude Festival/Vault), Twelfth Night (Oxford Shakespeare Company), Free Fall (Pleasance, Off-West End Award nominated Best Female), Our Father, FlickBook (both Theatre503), Burn: Fahrenheit 451 (ELAN Frantoio, Italy).

Television includes: Inspector George Gently (BBC) & various commercials. Radio includes: Exemplar (BBC Radio 4).

Molly dedicates this performance of A Christmas Carol to her Dad.

JACK QUARTON Composer and Musical Director Fred / Young Scrooge

Trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).

For Claybody Theatre: Song of the Sytch (2023)

Other Theatre: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Ambassadors Theatre and Southwark Playhouse); Amélie (Criterion Theatre); Much Ado About Nothing, TheWicker Husband (Watermill Theatre); Assassins (Nottingham Playhouse / Watermill Theatre); Wonderland (Nottingham Playhouse and Northern Stage); Coram Boy (Nottingham Playhouse); An August Bank Holiday Lark (Northern Broadsides); Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, Swallows and Amazons (Storyhouse/Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre); Great Expectations, Peter Pan, Alice

in Wonderland, Hansel and Gretel (Derby Theatre); On the Mend (Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham); Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Pants On Fire Theatre Company); Alice in Wonderland (Octagon Theatre, Bolton); The Master and Margarita (Lodestar Theatre Company).

Film: Mike Leigh’s Peterloo.

Jack can be heard on the Original West End Cast Recording of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

BETH HILL Acting ASM Fan / Caroline

Trained at UCLan and graduated in 2023.

For Claybody Theatre: The D Road (2019) as a member of the Community Company.

Other work includes: various projects with New Vic Theatre Education.

Beth is also a musician who writes, records and produces her own music. She recently started gigging locally as a solo artist.

Beth grew up in Newcastle-Under-Lyme and started performing at 16 with the New Vic Youth Theatre. She is delighted to be making her professional acting debut with Claybody Theatre.

CLAYBODY YOUNG COMPANY

GEORGE, ALBERT, HARRY Tim Cratchit

Three talented local young actors are sharing the role of Tiny Tim in our production. They are all keen performers with quite a bit of experience already!

Harry and George both attend Drama School Stoke.

Albert has appeared with Stage Productions.

They are all very excited to be taking on this iconic role, and we're delighted to have them in the show. They're going to be fantastic!

CLAYBODY COMMUNITY COMPANY The Spirits of Spode

We're thrilled to include our wonderful community company in A Christmas Carol. Many of them have been with us since 2017, when we first began integrating a community cast with professional actors. They bring huge value to our performances by building and inhabiting the world of the story.

Steve Bambury, Debbi Cash, Katie Hambleton, Brenda Hennessey, Kornelia Herms, Ian Hunt, Josie Hunt, Andrew Middleton, Carol Middleton, Julie Oxberry

LOUISE WORRALL Set and Costume Designer

Louise is a performance designer based in Stoke-on-Trent. She has a degree in Fine Art from Glasgow School of Art and a master’s in Performance Design from Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

For Claybody Theatre: Ode To Arthur / Meeting Arthur Installation (2025); HOOTENANNA! (2024)

Other credits include: Set & Costume Designer for Mansfield Park at The Watermill Theatre; Lead Designer for Abundance, an outdoor play space in Birmingham; Set & Costume Designer for Anansi's Big Big Adventure at Bristol Old Vic.

Through collaboration with a myriad of artists and communities, Louise intends to create environments which encourage tangible experiences, in site specific spaces, reaching individuals who may not usually engage with theatre. She is particularly interested in inclusive projects that are both accessible for diverse audiences and for theatre makers.

DAVID PHILLIPS Lighting Designer

David started his career in theatre in 1994 in his native Leamington Spa before joining Derby Playhouse in 1999. Since then he has designed both nationally and internationally.

For Claybody Theatre: Ode To Arthur (2025)

Notable designs include: 1984, Hamlet, Loves’ Labours’ Lost (Northern Broadsides, UK Touring); She Stoops to Conquer, The Trial, The Ashes (Nottingham Playhouse); Burial at Thebes (Spoleto Festival, Charleston USA and Arts and Ideas Festival, New Haven USA, Rose Theatre, Kingston-upon-Thames); Jackand the Beanstalk (Gaiety, Dublin); Aladdin (Mercury, Colchester); Roots (Mercury, Colchester/Hull Truck/Nottingham Playhouse); Spring Awakening, Parade, Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blond (LSC/Pleasance); Thirst (MC Theater Amsterdam/ NL & UK Touring); Blue Stockings (Arts Educational); Dracula (Fitzrovia / Mercury Colchester); Canoeing for Beginners (Royal Court, Liverpool); Our Country’s Good (Curve, Leicester); The Witches (Lyric Theatre Hong Kong/Curve, Leicester/Leeds Playhouse); Wisdom of a Fool (Capital Horsham/ UK Touring); Miss Nightingale, Oxy and The Morons, How to Disappear, Treasure Island, Snow Queen, Trio and DNA (New Wolsey).

David has designed lighting for a dozen pantos for Little Wolf Entertainment, including Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin (Derby Arena) and numerous productions for Youth Music Theatre UK.

David joined Claybody Theatre in 2025 as Producer and Production Manager.

BEVERLEY NORRIS EDMUNDS Choreographer

For Claybody Theatre: The Grand Babylon Hotel (2025 - New Vic Theatre in Association with Claybody Theatre); Bright Lights over Bentilee (2024); The Card (2022 Fenton Town Hall / 2023 New Vic Theatre); The D road (2019).

Recent theatre credits include: The Little Mermaid, A Matter Of Life and Death, The Three Musketeers, One Man Two Guvnor's, A leap in the Dark, The Nutcracker (New Vic Theatre); The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice (Grosvenor Open Air Theatre, Chester); Scouse Christmas Carol, Speedo Mick the Musical, The peaceful Hour, Girls Don’t Play Guitars (Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool); The Worst Witch - Olivier Award Winner 2020 - (Vaudeville Theatre West End and Uk Tour); Around The World in 80 Days (New Victory Theatre Broadway NY, UK Tour, New Vic Theatre); Tom, Dick and Harry (Alexandra Palace Theatre, New Vic Theatre); Marvellous (Soho Place, New Vic Theatre);

Choreography also on many productions for Coliseum Theatre Oldham including the first actor musician version of ‘Chicago’ winning an MEN award for Best Ensemble. Also numerous productions for Northern Broadsides, The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatres, Bolton Octagon, Hull Truck Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Birmingham Rep, Liverpool Empire Theatre, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough, Haymarket Theatre Basingstoke, Harrogate Theatre, New Perspective Theatre Company, Imaginarium Theatre Company and Tmesis Theatre

TV credits include: Disney’s The Evermoor Chronicles, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, CBeebie’s The Magic Door, The Reckoning, Butterfly, Sunny D, Fernando Torres Nike Commercial, September Song, Brookside and the feature film O Jerusalem.

ANDREW VAN BUREN Magic Consultant

Born into a magical showbusiness family Andrew’s first time on stage was at six weeks old. He grew up in theatre, television studios, with the Muppets and touring in circus, developing his skills of unicycle, trick cycling, juggling, magic and illusions, resurrecting the art of plate spinning with real plates. He is recognised as one of the world’s top plate spinner experts, exporting ‘Potteries’ made plates around the world.

Theatre tours and shows include work with Peter Kay, Harry Hill, Danny La Rue, Ken Dodd, Paul O Grady, the cast of Coronation Street, appearing in the Brit Awards, Royal Albert Hall, Commonwealth Games, Glastonbury Festival, Blackpool Tower Circus and West End Theatres. Advisory work includes: Barnum, Rocky Horror Show, Houdini the Play, New Vic Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company.

Worldwide Andrew’s large-scale illusion shows headline on cruise ships, seasons in Dubai, Sharjah and Qatar, plus touring Van Buren and Gandeys Victorian Wonders Carnival. His first Royal show was representing Great Britain at World Expo92 in Seville Spain for Prince Charles and Princess Diana. He has performed for Middle East royalty, the Monaco Royal Family and inside Buckingham Palace with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip.

TV appearances include: Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, The Generation Game, Blue Peter, plus, films, adverts and music videos.

Affiliations include Gold Star Membership of The Inner Magic Circle. Honorary Lifetime President of the Mercian Mystics. The Association of Independent Showmen. The Grand Order of Water Rats. European Parliament Big Top Label Standards Award system judging committee.