London is getting ready for everyone’s favourite time of year. The lights are switching on, restaurants are preparing delicious festive menus and hopefully at some point, the snow will start to fall! But let’s not forget, that Christmas would not be Christmas without a trip to the theatre for an ultimate feel-good performance that gets you into the spirit. There’s plenty of choice around the capital this year to entertain everyone, from a fun-filled panto to a beautiful ballet, so let’s find out what’s on so you can start planning your Christmas celebrations!
Disney on Ice: Frozen
Where do we start? While they’re still young enough to shout ‘it’s behind you’, make Christmas that little bit more magical this year with a huge variety of shows to see all over London. It is probably immensely difficult to find a 5 to 8 year-old that hasn’t seen and enjoyed the Disney hit, Frozen. The famous story shows no sign of losing its popularity and this year, all the favourite characters will be taking to the ice! ‘Disney On Ice: Frozen’ is chilling up the O2 in North Greenwich with all the songs we know to sing along to as the skilled skaters glide around the icy setting. Relive the magic of every Disney fan’s much-loved story for a very reasonable price of £35, so wrap up warm and get practising those high notes!
Babe
Another fun-loving tale for the little ones is a re-write of the Dick King Smith classic, Babe. Everyone’s favourite piglet (of course, a puppet version) takes to the Polka Theatre stage in this adorable story about his discovery of his talent to herd sheep, much to his farmer’s surprise! With the original songs adapted by David Wood, who amazingly has 40 years of experience in re-creating kids’ stories, this fun-filled farmyard adventure is great for the family and will definitely have a lot of ‘aww’ moments! Also showing at the Polka Theatre is a heart-warming performance of the Helen Stephen’s novel ‘How to Hide a Lion’, following little Iris and her new friend that her parents perhaps might not approve of…
Pantomimes
How can we go without mentioning the good old pantomimes that timelessly light up London’s theatres every year? This Winter is set to be another exciting season for panto with hilarious and charming shows ready to raise the curtain and put a smile on your face. Over in East London we have three of the most classic stories to this day that never get boring. Take a ride on the magic carpet with the colourful Aladdin at the Broadway Theatre, fear the bad wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood at Hoxton Hall, or head to Hackney Empire and stay awake with high-energy singing and dancing while Sleeping Beauty is in her slumber. Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty are also showing over in West London, so there is no excuse to miss out! Bromley has managed to rope in Strictly Come Dancing Judge, Craig Revel Horwood to play the evil Captain Hook in the ageless Peter Pan, so expect all things glittery and glitzy when he is involved! Or for something a little different, find out more about Theatre 503 in Battersea where (and we promise this is not a typo) ‘Scrooge and the Seven Dwarves’ will be mashing up two of your favourite classic stories…on purpose! See what comical happenings unfold when the Ghost of Christmas Past accidentally takes Mr Scrooge a little too far into the past into the magical era of fairy tales.
What else?
Of course, in amongst all these seasonal shows, you still have your West End spectaculars waiting in the wings, such as the stunning Wicked at the Victoria Apollo, the colourful Lion King at the Lyceum and the feel-good Jersey Boys at the Piccadilly Theatre. What’s more, you could even admire the sheer elegance and fascinating technique of a ballet performance that will leave you feeling all warm and gooey inside. The Royal Ballet performance of The Nutcracker is set to shine at the Royal Opera House and a special festive version of The Snowman will be a Christmas delight at the Peacock Theatre, you are simply spoiled for choice.
With Christmas markets soon to be set up and the Christmas lights already shining bright, it’s time to plan your Christmas holidays with your loved ones. Sit back and enjoy an extravagant show, get the all-important shopping out of the way and perhaps treat yourselves to a delicious dinner. Lastly, remember to check out what special offers the Georgian House hotel has for you, so that after your busy day getting into the festive spirit, you can finally relax with a comfortable stay! Our friendly team are ready to welcome and give you a very memorable bed and breakfast experience this Christmas.
