Tag: Christmas Show

Review: A Christmas Carol, Waterside Arts, Sale

We were invited to see A Christmas Carol by Waterside Arts in Sale. All opinions are our own.

Everyone loves a ghost story at Christmas, and for my money, there’s no better ghost story than A Christmas Carol. On Friday, we went along to Waterside Arts in Sale, Greater Manchester to spend an evening watching A Christmas Carol, performed by Guy Masterson.

A Christmas Carol has been made into many films. It’s such a part of Christmas, I can’t imagine a December without calling an especially grumpy relative Scrooge. It’s been made and performed a thousand times over, but this one man show, this monologue performance by Guy Masterson was a masterpiece in storytelling.

Like all Dickens’ stories, there is a cast of many, all performed by Guy Masterson. Each one with a voice or mannerism of their own. Each character you can imagine perfectly, all due to a flick of some hair or the imaginary swish of some petticoats.

Review: A Christmas Carol, Waterside Arts, Sale

A Christmas Carol, performed by Guy Masterson

The stage is sparsely set with a chair and a coat on a hook. No other props are used, all are imagined by actor, Guy Masterson. Every sip from a cup, or closing of a door, you can see in your minds eye. You don’t need anything more, because Guy performs with such intensity, you are fully in the moment. You could hear a pin drop throughout. He jumps, runs, twirls and dances across the stage with a kind of energy I’ve long since been able to muster.

The show is 80 minutes long with an interval. It’s a masterclass in memory and Guy never stumbles. There’s the occasional and not at all hammy twinkly knowing eye to the audience, but the whole 80 minutes are an intense retelling of this classic Christmas tale. The ghosts, and the ghostly descriptions are vivid enough to cause the hairs on the back of your neck to stand on end. Tiny Tim is the sickly hero, played so beautifully you can imagine his pale face at the hearthside.

Each character is perfectly drawn by Guy. Everything is so minimal and sparce that the intensity of the performance really sings loudest. I felt like I’d not drawn breath for the whole 80 minutes.

It was a wonderful way to revisit one of my favourite Christmas tales. It was intense and left you with much to think about. It’s a reminder, as if anyone needed one, that life can be peppered with regrets, and it’s never too late to change your path and do better.

Alas, the show was at Waterside Arts for one night only, but Guy is on tour at various theatres throughout the UK in December. It’s not a colourful, jolly festive feast, but the right kind of ghost story for this time of year. It’s a real treat for Dickens fans. I loved it, and it’ll stay with me for a while.

If you’re local to Waterside Arts, Sale and would like to catch a Christmas show, then there are several different shows on their website with tickets available

If you enjoyed this, you might like to find out about other Christmas shows in and around Manchester this year.

10 Family Christmas Shows in Manchester

Christmas is a time for traditions and one of ours is a trip to see a Christmas show or two. In Manchester we have lots of great theatres within easy reach of our home and they always offer an exciting selection of Christmas productions. There’s something for everyone. Love panto? Go and see Cinderella. Got little ones? Go and see The Man Who Wanted to be a Penguin at Waterside Arts. Below are 10 family Christmas shows you can see in and around Manchester this Christmas…

10 Family Christmas Shows in Manchester

The Man Who Wanted to be a Penguin, Waterside Arts, Sale, 30th November – 31st December

This is the story of an extraordinary explorer, a curious conjurer and pioneering problem-solver. You’ll find him pottering in his shed; planning his latest mission. He is learning to speak Penguin and hopes that you will too!

When he arrives at the Antarctic will its icy wilderness meet his excited expectations? Will the penguins’ reception be frosty, or will the colony welcome him with open wings?!

With a playful energy and a mix of puppetry, music and song, this show will be a delightful celebration of wild creativity and the joy of individuality. Read our review here.

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

A Christmas Carol, Waterside Arts, Sale, 2nd December

Olivier Award winner, Guy Masterson, veteran of many smash hit solo works such as Under Milk Wood, Animal Farm and Shylock, now presents Dickens’ classic festive fable. Famed for bringing multiple characters to vivid life, Masterson gives us Scrooge, Marley, the Fezziwigs, the Cratchits, Tiny Tim et al in an riveting, performance that will dazzle, enchant, and linger long in the memory. Guaranteed to get you into the Christmas Spirit – in many more ways than one!

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

Room on the Broom, The Lowry Theatre, 7th December – 8th January

Jump on board the broom with the witch and her cat in Tall Stories’ fun-filled adaptation of Room on the Broom, the best-selling picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

The witch and her cat are travelling on their broomstick when they pick up some hitch-hikers – a friendly dog, a beautiful green bird and a frantic frog. But this broomstick’s not meant for five and – CRACK – it snaps in two… just as the hungry dragon appears! Read our review here.

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

Cinderella, Stockport Plaza, 8th December 2022 – 8th January

Well pop on your sparkling glass slippers, jump into your coach and dash along to the Stockport Plaza to find out in the North Wests Premier Family Pantomime – Cinderella!

You’re invited to the Stockport Plaza Pantomime and they guarantee you’ll have a ball! Tickets for the North Wests premier family Pantomime Cinderella are on sale now!….

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

Comedysportz Improvised (adults only) Panto, Waterside Arts Centre, Sale, 9th & 10th December

Heroes, villains, songs and silliness are guaranteed as the gang improvise a brand new pantomime using only your suggestions and a sprinkling of fairy dust. With plenty of quick-witted gags and games, this loving pastiche of panto characters and tropes will be jam-packed with laughs and unexpected delights – oh yes it will! You don’t want to miss this alternative festive treat that the whole family can enjoy.

Every show is different as players craft loving pastiche of panto tropes and characters from audience suggestions and a sprinkling of fairy dust. The performers don’t know their roles beforehand and might even get you involved in the action! This alternative pantomime is totally unscripted and completely unmissable – book your tickets for one of these family Christmas shows now!

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

10 Family Christmas Shows in Manchester

The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan, Opera House Manchester, 10th – 31st December

Comedy superstar Jason Manford will lead the cast in The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan in the role of Captain Hook, joined by returning Manchester panto favourite and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Ben Nickless as Smee and musical theatre stars Jessica Croll as Wendy, Samara Casteallo as Tinkerbell and Ross Carpenter as Peter Pan.

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

The Adventures of Robin Hood – The 80’s Panto!, Contact Theatre, 10th – 31st December

The Contact Theatre in Manchester present a panto 80’s remix of Robin Hood. It’s a fresh twist on the traditional, packed with an upbeat, sing-along, 80’s panto playlist! eight-freestyle‘s Robin Hood is a story of courage, friendship and bad puns. There’ll be plenty of laughs along the way as Robin joins forces with Maid Marion to thwart the Sheriff of Nottingham’s evil plans to kidnap the young Babes. This is a show that has it all: adventure, action, laughs, music, magic and men with mullets!

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

Jack and the Beanstalk, Waterside Arts Centre, Sale, 13th – 22nd January

The town of LeVache has a really BIG problem – a giant lives above them. What’s more, it’s the spring festival and there’s only one cook – the Widow Trot – with the assets to make all the buns sticky.

Find out if her son Jack finally proves himself? Will the independent Jill lead the way? Will Bogey and Flickit stop picking their noses? Or will everything be ruined by Fleshcreep, the slimiest villain of all? If only they had a beloved cow who can dance and save the day…

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

10 Family Christmas Shows in Manchester

Claus – The Musical, The Lowry Theatre, 14th December – 8th January

From the writer of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz comes the world premiere of Claus The Musical. Based on the beloved children’s book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum, this brand-new musical is as magical as Christmas itself.

With spellbinding songs from Andy Collyer, heart-warming storytelling, enchanting sets, and a whole load of festive fun, discover the story of Claus and how he became a man forever in our hearts, and on Christmas Eve, forever in our skies.

Abandoned as a baby in the magical Forest of Burzee, he is gifted to Necile, a wood nymph, who showers him with love and names him Claus.  With a helping hand from the mystical inhabitants of the forest – Fairies, Knooks and Ryls – she teaches him that kindness is the most important lesson of all, a gift that Claus eventually shares with us, as he embarks on a journey to bring the miracle of Christmas to the whole world.

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

Little Penguin’s First Christmas, The Lowry Theatre, 22nd December – 31st December

From the company that brought you the sell-out productions of Snowbabies! and Aleena’s Garden, Little Penguin’s First Christmas is an immersive, festive experience for babies aged 0-36 months and their grown-ups!

Filled with puppetry, original music and sensory delights to stimulate and captivate, this show is a perfect first theatrical experience for your little one.

Join Little Penguin in her winter wonderland as she discovers the magic of her first Christmas.

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

If you found this list of family Christmas shows useful, you might also like to read my list of 11 Places to hear Christmas music in Manchester this year.

Elf the Musical – a sack-load of family fun at The Lowry

Each Christmas, regular as clockwork we dig out our Elf DVD, snuggle up on the sofa and really get in the mood for Christmas. It is my favourite Christmas film by far and one we all love to watch together as a family. But would the Elf the Musical version live up to our expectations?

Based on the 2003 hit film starring Will Ferrell; Elf is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Elf the Musical - a sack-load of family fun at The Lowry

Elf The Musical stars TV and West End star Ben Forster as Buddy and former Atomic Kitten Liz McClarnon as Jovie. Joe McGann stars as Walter and Jessica Martin as Emily Hobbs, not forgetting Louis Emerick as Santa. There are a trio of local boys playing the role of Michael too.

Ben Forster as Buddy fills the stage with energy, managing to channel some of the personality of Buddy the Elf from the film, whilst putting his own spin on the character. Atomic Kitten star Liz McClarnon as Jovie is in excellent voice throughout, with a spot on accent and flawless performance.

From the start the stage is busy with the ensemble, first as a group of little-legged toy making elves, then crowds of New York shoppers, to the staff of Walter Hobbs office. They’re all fantastic and help to bring warmth, rhythm and humour to the production. Deb played by Lori Haley Fox especially stands out, putting in a performance full of humour.

Elf the Musical - a sack-load of family fun at The Lowry

The set is lavish, beautifully festive and almost constantly changing in this fast paced production. The musical set pieces are well done, though I was expecting the musical to end with the crowd singing Santa Claus Is Coming to Town like it does in the film, which is a bit of a shame. However, it does end with a happy ever after; a snowstorm and Santa’s sleigh floating off across the streets of Salford.

We loved it, my 7 year old was transfixed throughout and has talked of virtually nothing else since. It’s like the film, but quite different in many ways. Some aspects of the film I missed; but the singing, dancing and the warmth of the performances made up for everything. It’s a firm thumbs up from us, we loved it and would happily go again and again.

What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to see Elf The Musical at The Lowry! Get your tickets now, it’s bound to be incredibly popular!

Elf The Musical is on at The Lowry from Friday 24 November 2017 until Sunday 14 January 2018. For more information and tickets visit The Lowry website.

See ELF – The Musical, this Christmas at The Lowry

I know it is still September, but Christmas will be upon us before we know it. Over the weekend my boys took themselves off to Hamleys at the intu Trafford Centre for the press launch of ELF – The Musical. What happened at the event was lovely. My boys came home full to the brim of Christmas spirit and keen as mustard to get tickets for the show!

The press launch was by all accounts really lovely. Benjamin and his Dad watched Ben Forster who plays Elf perform a song from the show. Then they got to meet Ben and Liz McClarnon (who plays Jovie). I think Liz was as charmed by my Benjamin as he was by her.

Preview: ELF - The Musical at The Lowry
Liz McClarnon and Benjamin share a cuddle at the Elf Lowry Musical launch event.

Elf  – The Musical is coming to The Lowry, Salford Quays on Friday 24 November 2017 until Sunday 14 January 2018. Elf is my favourite Christmas film and this award winning musical version looks like essential viewing for Elf fans. I cannot wait to go and see it!

Elf – The Musical stars TV and West End star Ben Forster as Buddy, former Atomic Kitten Liz McClarnon as Jovie, plus Joe McGann as Walter and Jessica Martin as Emily Hobbs. There are a trio of local boys playing the role of Michael too.

Preview: ELF - The Musical at The Lowry
Ben Forster meets Benjamin at the Elf Lowry Musical launch event in Manchester.

Based on the 2003 hit film starring Will Ferrell; Elf is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Preview: ELF - The Musical at The Lowry

What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to see Elf – The Musical at The Lowry! Get your tickets now, it’s bound to be incredibly popular!

Elf: The Musical is on at The Lowry from Friday 24 November 2017 until Sunday 14 January 2018.