Carol is Christmas personified. Born on 25 December, she’s been holding the whole Christmas shebang together for decades – and she’s loved every minute of it. But this year, things are looking a lot less jolly. Now 60, she suddenly finds herself living in her car, with council move-on notices stacking up. But she’s not ready to let Christmas go without a fight. Andrea Gibbs wrote the popular drama Barracking for the Umpire. Her new play Carol, featuring Sally-Anne Upton in the title role, is hectic and hilarious, heartbreaking yet hopeful, with enough songs to get you humming. (Read our interview with Gibbs on page 65.)

Limelight Editor’s Choice

Carol’s got Christmas running through her veins. Born on the 25th of December, it’s not just a date to her − it’s a bloody big deal. For decades, she’s been the one wrapping the presents, dishing out the pav, and holding the whole Christmas shebang together.

This year, however, nothing is jolly. Life’s thrown her a curveball, and 60-year-old Carol’s Christmas cheer is hanging by a thread. With wind whistling through her car windows, late-night talk-back her only company, and council move-on notices stacking up, tinsel and turkey are seemingly ghosts of Christmas past. But even as things fall apart, she’s not ready to let Christmas go − not without a fight.