The Haunted Man performed by James Swanton. Christmas 2026

Ticket price:

£25 - Standard Ticket

£22 - Access Ticket (with free Companion Ticket available)

How to book tickets:

• On our website
• In person at the ticket desk

Please note that demand for this annual event is always high and will likely sell-out fast.

Option to donate: 

GiftAid is quick, easy, and it doesn't cost you any extra, all you need is to be a UK taxpayer. For every £1 you spend today, we receive another 25p in government support.

Inclusions:

• Admits one adult to the performance
• Admits one adult to the museum same day, prior to the booked performance. Last entry to historic house and special exhibition at 5pm. Tea room closes at 6pm.

Dates and times for 2026:

Wednesday 2nd December at 4pm
Thursday 3rd December at 4pm
Friday 4th December at 4pm
Tuesday 8th December at 4pm
Thursday 10th December at 4pm

Wednesday 16th December at 4pm

Duration:

60 minutes

Content:

Suitable for 8+ years.

Location:

49 Doughty Street. Just as Dickens was known to entertain his guests in his own Drawing Room so will you experience this performance in a similar setting within the Museum. The performance space can be accessed via the lift.

Doors will open 10 minutes prior to the start time. Due to the small size of the theatre space, no latecomers will be admitted.  

Terms and conditions:

Please note that all event tickets are non-refundable. More here.

Queries:

Please email the Events team; events@dickensmuseum.com

‘I see you in the fire,’ said the haunted man; ‘I hear you in music, in the wind, in the dead stillness of the night.’

Following A Christmas Carol, Dickens wrote four additional Christmas Books – of which The Haunted Man is the last, and by far the deepest and darkest. It contains all the bewitching ingredients found in A Christmas Carol – a Scrooge-like older man, terrifying ghosts, the promise of redemption – but here given an unforgettable new twist.

The Haunted Man is a refreshingly different way to experience a Dickensian Christmas, brimming with Gothic atmosphere, passionate social fury and a boundless humanity. This version is brought vividly to life by James Swanton, who author Roger Clarke (A Natural History of Ghosts) calls ‘the best interpreter of Charles Dickens’s ghost stories alive’.

James has previously taken Dickens to the West End’s Trafalgar Studios in the acclaimed Sikes & Nancy (‘fantastical … remarkable … startling and enthralling’ – Simon Callow) as well as performing all five of the Christmas Books at the Charles Dickens Museum (‘extraordinary … superb … it couldn’t have been more vivid!’ – Miriam Margolyes). He’s also played the title roles in two BBC chillers: ‘The Curse of the Ninth’ in Inside No. 9 and Lot No. 249, Mark Gatiss’s annual ghost story, for which The Telegraph called James ‘the scariest man on TV this Christmas’. 

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to enjoy one of Dickens’s lesser known gems. The Haunted Man is a most haunting fairy-tale, tailored to the Victorian age, but no less relevant today.

BOOK TICKETS

Praise for Swanton’s Dickens shows:

‘Highly engaging … A spectacular performance … Shines a light on how audiences would have originally enjoyed Dickens’s work’ – Huffington Post

‘A tour de force; a masterclass in character portrayal … A quite brilliant piece of theatre’ – The Latest (★★★★★)

'An incredible presence on stage … This is storytelling at its finest, no post-modern irony or knowing asides needed’ – The Big Issue

‘James didn’t just tell the story, he became the story … Truly amazing … Taught me so much not only about Charles Dickens but about the craft of acting itself’ – London Theatre 1 (★★★★★)

‘If you want a masterclass in one-man theatre, there’s no finer place to be’ – London City Nights