AFTER receiving rave reviews and standing ovations last year, The Dickens Theatre Company are returning to the Towngate Theatre in Basildon this season, with their 5 star production of Charles Dickens classic Christmas story- and it’ll be miserly to miss it.

The company will be performing A Christmas Carol at the St Martin’s Square venue from Thursday December 21 -Sunday December 24.

The play is directed by Eric Richard, who is most famous for playing

Sergeant Cryer in the Bill. He also had a fleeting appeearnce in this year’s blockbuster Dunkirk.

The Dickens Theatre Company was founded by Eric two years ago, along with Westcliff-based actor

Ryan Philpott and actress Louise Faulkner, both who will again be starring in the play.

In recent years Ryan has played a police officer himself, appearing as

Sergeant Kenny Morris in EastEnders and PC

Matthew Thyme in ITV’s

Rosemary and Thyme.

When Eric and Ryan

were introduced in

2015, they hit it off

immediately.

Eric said: “Once we’d

got over the coincidence

of both playing primetime

TV police sergeants,

we realised we had a

lot more in common.

We shared the same

theatrical goals - and the

Dickens Theatre Company

was born.”

A Christmas Carol

will also feature original

music by Paul Higgs

Tickets cost £15 for adults, £12.50 concessions and are available from the box office on 01268 465465.