The Haunted Man

£22 Adult
£20 Concession

You may purchase a concession ticket if you are over 60, are a student, have a disability, are attending as a carer to someone with a disability, receive universal credit or have a blue lights card. 

Wednesday 11th December at 4pm
Friday 13th December at 4pm
Tuesday 17st December at 4pm
Thursday 19th December at 4pm

Performances last appx 60 mins. 

The performance takes place in 'The Smallest Theatre in the World.' Doors will open 10 minutes prior to the start time.

Please note: The performances begin promptly, and due to the size of the theatre, no latecomers will be admitted. 

Book your tickets here or contact our Events Team at events@dickensmuseum.com

Full entry to the museum and exhibition are included within this event. Please visit the historic house before the performances take place.  

Special event tickets are non-refundable. 

The Haunted Man is perhaps one of the most powerful stories Dickens ever wrote. It was his fifth and final Christmas book, published in 1848 following the death of his sister, Frances. The story opens with Professor Redlaw in deep mourning for his own sister, so this story is a deeply personal one to Dickens, in which we are able to glimpse Dickens's own state of mind and spirit at Christmas 1848. 

Redlaw is haunted by a menacing phantom, with whom he strikes a bargain. The ghost will remove all memories of pain and sorrow, along with their associated memories. Once the weighty deal is struck, Redlaw comes to realise that without pain and sorrow, without the memories of those whom we love, there can be no joy or compassion, sympathy or love. 

The Haunted Man is brimming with that classic Dickensian combination of gothic chills and warming Christmas spirit and is brought powerfully to life by James Swanton. 

The Haunted Man is performed by James Swanton, who took Dickens to the West End’s Trafalgar Studios in the acclaimed Sikes & Nancy (‘fantastical … remarkable … startling and enthralling’ – Simon Callow) and has also performed all five of the Christmas Books at the Charles Dickens Museum (‘extraordinary … superb … it couldn’t have been more vivid!’ – Miriam Margolyes). Over the last year James has played 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'. 

This promises to be a seasonal treat like no other.

Book your tickets today!

 Entry to the museum and exhibition are included with the ticket to this performance. Please visit the museum and exhibition before the performance start time. 

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

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

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