A BRAND new and original adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol aims to get people into the festive spirit and raise cash to help the homeless.

Storytelling theatre company Parable Arts is putting on the show at Stourbridge's Bonded Warehouse in Canal Street on Friday November 24, Saturday November 25, Friday December 15 and Saturday December 16.

The production, suitable for youngsters aged eight and over, will feature seasonal music provided by The Salvation Army Band and proceeds from the shows will be donated to The Salvation Army’s work with homeless people and those facing hardship in the region this Christmas.

Jon Buckeridge, artistic director of Parable Arts, said: “It seems very fitting to times we live in. Dickens’ day had a huge division of the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ and that’s increasingly what we see in society today.

"I wanted to tell a story that reminds us all that we can all do something about it – however small – and I wanted to do something that could really make a difference to people’s lives.

"While most of us are enjoying a warm and well-fed Christmas season, teams from The Salvation Army will be running food banks, soup kitchens, hostels, and delivering food packages to families in our area for whom Christmas is far from merry.

"I’m proud to be a part of making that happen.”

Parable Arts has won international recognition for its storytelling theatre style, but this is the first time the company has performed in its home-town, and members are looking forward to bringing their adaptation of Dickens’ classic and haunting Christmas tale to the historic Bonded Warehouse.

Jon said: “It’s a brilliant place, and it’s exactly the kind of building that you can imagine the characters being in.

"We like to hold productions in site specific spaces, and this one couldn’t be much more ideal.

“We’ve brought this story to a space that suits it perfectly, and blended it with a musical tradition Dickens would have listened to himself…so now all the pressure is on the actors."

Tickets for the show are available online from www.christmascarolplay.com. They cost £10 for adults and £7.50 concessions.