The Sound Of Music, Salford
Christmas is the one time of the year when many families splash out and go to see a big show, and while there are mega hits such as Matilda (Cambridge Theatre, WC2) and Les Mis (Queen’s Theatre, W1) in the West End, there are plenty of musical big hitters beyond London this year too. Salford’s Lowry has family favourite The Sound of Music, the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II hit inspired by the real-life singing Von Trapp family. Casts may have dubbed it “the sound of mucus” in the past because there was so much coughing from the stalls during the winter season, but it’s a show that always delivers. If Do-Re-Mi and Edelweiss aren’t your eggnog though, there is plenty of choice across the country, including Oliver! (Curve Theatre, Leicester, to 23 Jan) and Hairspray (New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, to 2 Jan).
LG
Peter Pan Goes Wrong, London
Having started out as a cult Edinburgh fringe hit in the early 00s, this year saw The Play That Goes Wrong not only mark a disaster-prone one-year anniversary at the West End’s Duchess Theatre, but win an Olivier award and feature in the Royal Variety Performance too. In the spirit of “you can’t have enough of a good thing” – especially at this time of year – the original cast offer a festive spin on their am-dram mishaps with Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Once again the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society ineptly tackles a barrage of technical hitches and inter-cast spats in its version of the classic JM Barrie tale. With an actor flying about the set, a baddie with a sharp hook for an arm and a crocodile, what could possibly go wrong?
MC
Ben Hur, London
The mark of writer Patrick Barlow – for whom no order is too tall – is clear in Ben Hur; he stages the Roman epic here with just four actors. Barlow cut his teeth on quirky offerings with comedy double act the National Theatre Of Brent and then went on to write The 39 Steps, a wacky combination of the Hitchcock film and the original John Buchan novel. After an early run at the Tricycle in 2006 (where Ben Hur now plays), it went on to the West End – where it ran for nine years – as well as Broadway and numerous other countries, winning an Olivier award along the way. So expectations have been high for this. It’s based on the novel by Lewis “Lew” Wallace; we are promised 3D technology, a proper chariot race, a sea battle and an “unexpurgated” Roman orgy (suitable for ages 10 and over).
Tricycle Theatre, NW6, to 9 Jan
MC
Nutshell Nutcracker, Clevedon
Small can be beautiful – particularly in a theatrical context – and this collaboration between Theatre Orchard and Ballet Central, which is written and directed by Toby Hulse, sounds rather magical. Using two dancers, two actors and a reimagined version of Tchaikovsky’s score by Jez Butler, the show is a stocking filler version of the famous Hoffmann story (more sinister than the traditional ballet suggests) played out in an old shop on Clevedon high street. So that should add an extra edge to a story in which toys come to life, battles must be waged, and the land of sweets awaits adventurous children. It’s great to see empty retail units used this way, and this is a show that should sprinkle extra Christmas magic across this Victorian seaside town.
LG
A Christmas Carol, Chichester
In recent years, Chichester Festival Youth Theatre has specialised in creating high-quality productions, including a much praised version of Michael Morpurgo’s Running Wild this summer. Under the direction of Dale Rooks and Jake Smith, the company’s Christmas show should do more than justice to Bryony Lavery’s take on the Dickens novel. With austerity forcing many into poverty, this tale has a particular pertinence. That may explain why there are so many versions of the story this year, including Jim Broadbent as Scrooge in the West End (Noël Coward Theatre, WC2, to 30 Jan).
Chichester Festival Theatre, to 2 Jan
LG
Flown, Brighton
It used to be that Christmas was strictly panto season in the world of theatre, and while there is plenty of traditional fare to be found across the country, venues are increasingly offering a more varied choice to accommodate those for whom shouting, “He’s behind you!” simply isn’t conducive to having a good time. In Edinburgh, Circa are reprising their great 2014 fringe show, Beyond (St Andrew Square, to 3 Jan), an hour of inspired acrobatic tricks; in London, La Soirée bring elegance and sauciness to the Southbank Centre (SE1, to 17 Jan); and in Brighton, Pirates Of The Carabina fly into town with a surreal production that combines aerialism, acrobats, stunts and an ironing board.
Brighton Dome, Sat 19 to Sun 27 Dec
LG
