Pegasus Theatre’s festive show this year is anything but ordinary: Supermarket Scrooge, a brand-new, puppet-packed retelling of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, created with Oxford’s own Wild Boor Ideas. Opening Tuesday 10th December and running to Christmas Eve, it swaps Victorian counting houses for a 1990s supermarket where seasonal spirits haunt the aisles after hours.
Our Scrooge is Wilhelmina (“Willa”) Scrooge, hard-nosed owner of “Scroogeways”, who thinks Christmas is just good for the bottom line. On Christmas Eve at midnight, her world is upended as ghostly products come to life: a cockney Brussels sprout as the Ghost of Christmas Past, a chat-show Gift Box as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and (most chilling of all) a silent Frozen Turkey as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Along the way we meet Tiny Ted, a heroic carrier-bag pup, and a very opinionated self-service till (“unexpected item in the bagging area!”).
Written and directed by Toby Hulse (Sleeping Beauty, Jack & The Beanstalk at OP), this is the second show in Wild Boor’s Book Bonding series, designed to spark a lifelong love of stories. Every performance is paired with a specially created take-home book of cut-out paper puppets so young audiences can re-tell the tale. The team will also run pre-show workshops in schools and libraries, offer online activities, visit SEN settings, and stage relaxed performances during the run.
Last year’s companion piece, The Elves and the Shoemaker, was a sell-out at Pegasus — so get in early.
Need-to-know
- When: Wed 10 – Wed 24 Dec 2025 (multiple daytime performances)
- Where: Pegasus Theatre, Magdalen Rd, Oxford OX4 1RE
- Age guidance: 5–105 (family friendly)
- Running time: Approx. 2 hours (incl. interval)
- Tickets: From £17 (booking fee may apply)
- Access & extras: Relaxed performances during the run; Book-and-puppet pack for new readers (part of the Book Bonding Project)
- Book: pegasustheatre.org.uk
Performance highlights (times vary; see website for full schedule)
- Wed 10 Dec: 10:30 & 13:00 (Opening day)
- Thu 11 Dec: 10:30 & 13:00
- Fri 12 Dec: 10:30 & 13:00
- Sat 13 Dec: 10:30, 13:00 & 15:30
- Sun 14 Dec: 11:00 & 14:00
- Tue 16 – Thu 18 Dec: 10:30 & 13:00 daily
- Sat 20 Dec: 10:30, 13:00 & 15:30
- Sun 21 Dec: 11:00 & 14:00
- Mon 22 Dec: 11:00 & 14:00
- Tue 23 Dec: 11:00 & 14:00
- Wed 24 Dec (Christmas Eve): 11:00 (final show)
Supermarket Scrooge promises a warm-hearted, witty whirl through the true spirit of Christmas, with plenty of mischief, music and muzak-era nostalgia. Fill your basket and hop on the trolley… to redemption.
