A fashion mogul cancels Christmas because it’s getting in the way of her landmark show. Three visitors turn up to explain why that’s a mistake. It is exactly the story you think it is, told entirely through hip hop dance, and it was the surprise hit of last Christmas.
ZooNation’s Ebony Scrooge is back at Sadler’s Wells East from Tuesday 24 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 – six weeks, on our doorstep in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
What It Actually Is
Dickens, reworked. Ebony is a formidable Black fashion mogul who has decided Christmas is a distraction from her big show. Then the visitors arrive, and what follows is less about redemption in the Victorian sense than about her rediscovering her Caribbean roots.
It’s hip hop dance, comedy and physical theatre, and it moves.
Created and choreographed by Dannielle “Rhimes” Lecointe, who grew up in east London and is Associate Artistic Director of ZooNation. Original music by Michael “Mikey J” Asante, who you may know from Boy Blue.
Worth clearing up a common mix-up: the company is ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company, and Kate Prince founded it – but this show is Lecointe’s, not hers.
If you know ZooNation at all it’s probably from Into the Hoods, Some Like It Hip Hop or The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. This is their Christmas show for the new east London venue, and it premiered here last year to four stars from the Independent, the Guardian and the Telegraph.
“It premiered here last year to four stars from the Independent, the Guardian and the Telegraph.”
Dates and Times
Tuesday 24 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.
Evenings at 7.30pm, matinees at 2.30pm, roughly Tuesday to Sunday with Mondays dark.
The Christmas week exceptions matter if you’re planning around them:
- Monday 28 December – unusually, there is an evening performance at 7.30pm
- Thursday 24 December – 2.30pm matinee only
- Friday 25 December – no performance
- Saturday 26 December – 4pm only
- Sunday 3 January – closes with a 2.30pm matinee
Running time is 1 hour 55 minutes including a 20-minute interval. Age 7 and up.
Tickets
From £15 plus a £4 transaction fee. Family tickets are available on selected performances and price bands. Members save 20%, and there’s a Barclays Dance Pass at £10 for anyone aged 16 to 30 – which for a show of this quality is remarkable value.
Book through sadlerswells.com.
Access Performances
Sadler’s Wells East has scheduled several:
| Date | Time | Access Type |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 1 December | 7.30pm | BSL-interpreted post-show talk |
| Sunday 6 December | 2.30pm | Audio described, with a touch tour |
| Saturday 12 December | 2.30pm | Captioned |
| Thursday 17 December | 2.30pm | Relaxed performance |
Where to Go Before or After
Here’s the practical bit. A 2.30pm matinee finishes around 4.30pm. A 7.30pm evening show finishes around 9.25pm. Both leave you somewhere in the park with time on your hands and, if you’ve got kids, a need to sit down.
We’re Draughts Stratford, at 5 Aquatics Walk inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – a short walk from Sadler’s Wells East. Bar, full kitchen, food and drinks brought to your table, and over 1,000 board games.
For a matinee, come afterwards. Post-show at half four with something to eat and a game on the table is a considerably better end to the afternoon than a cold walk to Stratford station.
For an evening show, come before. Eat properly at six, play something, walk over.
And it works for the group you’re likely to be in. The show is 7+, which means families, and our team will find something that works whether your table is four adults or two adults and three overexcited children.
Book a table at draughtslondon.com – December fills up fast, and a six-week run at a venue this close means we’re busy throughout.
Making a Day of It
If you’re coming into the park anyway, there’s more within walking distance than most people realise.
V&A East Museum and V&A East Storehouse are both free and both open late until 10pm on Thursdays and Saturdays. The Music is Black: A British Story is on at the Museum until 10 January.
The ArcelorMittal Orbit slide is a five-minute walk. The London Aquatics Centre is open for public swimming.
A matinee plus a museum plus a long lunch is a genuinely good winter day out, and almost all of it is indoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Ebony Scrooge at Sadler’s Wells East?
Tuesday 24 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, at Sadler’s Wells East in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford.
What is Ebony Scrooge?
A hip hop dance adaptation of A Christmas Carol by ZooNation. Ebony is a Black fashion mogul who has cancelled Christmas to focus on her landmark fashion show, until three mystical visitors take her on a journey that reconnects her with her Caribbean roots. It combines hip hop dance, comedy and physical theatre.
Who created Ebony Scrooge?
It was created and choreographed by Dannielle “Rhimes” Lecointe, Associate Artistic Director of ZooNation, who was born and raised in east London. The original music is by Michael “Mikey J” Asante. ZooNation’s full name is ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company, after founder Kate Prince.
How long is Ebony Scrooge?
One hour 55 minutes including a 20-minute interval.
What age is Ebony Scrooge suitable for?
Recommended for ages 7 and up.
How much are Ebony Scrooge tickets?
From £15 plus a £4 transaction fee. Family tickets are available on selected performances, members save 20%, and the Barclays Dance Pass offers £10 tickets for ages 16 to 30.
Is there a performance of Ebony Scrooge on Christmas Day?
No. There’s a 2.30pm matinee only on Christmas Eve, nothing on Christmas Day, and a single 4pm performance on Boxing Day. There’s also an unusual Monday evening performance on 28 December.
Is Ebony Scrooge a new show?
It’s a revival. The show premiered at Sadler’s Wells East in November 2025 and was the venue’s breakout Christmas hit, earning four stars from the Independent, the Guardian and the Telegraph.
Where is Sadler’s Wells East?
Sadler’s Wells East is in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, part of the East Bank cultural quarter. Nearest station is Stratford, served by the Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines plus DLR, Overground and National Rail.
Where can I eat near Sadler’s Wells East?
Draughts Stratford is at 5 Aquatics Walk, inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and a short walk from Sadler’s Wells East. We serve food and drinks to your table alongside over 1,000 board games – which works well either side of a matinee or an evening performance. Book at draughtslondon.com.
What else is there to do near Sadler’s Wells East?
V&A East Museum and V&A East Storehouse are both free and within walking distance, with late openings until 10pm on Thursdays and Saturdays. The ArcelorMittal Orbit and the London Aquatics Centre are also in the park, along with Draughts at 5 Aquatics Walk.
