The city’s theatre scene has no intention of letting us down this festive season. Diaries at the ready, as Frances McNaughton has the highlights for you…
There’s nothing quite like Christmas in Cambridge. In a city renowned for championing its fantastic arts and culture scene, what could be better than to sample a spot of theatre action this celebration season? And this December, the city’s top venues are out in full force to bring you their very best Christmas performances. There’s a modern reimagining of a classic at the Junction, a comedic festive frolic at the ADC, a fun-packed family spectacular at the Arts Theatre, plus a colourful musical triumph from the Cambridge Theatre Company.
So, take your seats and get comfortable – the shows are about to begin.
Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet
Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet returns to the Corn Exchange this new year with breathtaking productions of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. Running between 29 and 30 December and 1 and 2 January, respectively, the performances feature a full orchestra and stunning costumes, creating a magical atmosphere.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
It seems audiences will never tire of this beloved family musical – so it’s just as well that the Cambridge Theatre Company is staging it once again in the lead-up to Christmas. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – the timeless collaboration between Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber – has been delighting audiences for decades, and this iteration by arrangement with theatre company The Really Useful Group Ltd is set to be no different. Expect crowd-pleasing tunes, vibrant visuals and an ever-satisfying ending to get you feeling good. Be sure to catch it from 21 to 24 December, at the Great Hall at The Leys. Tickets are available via the Cambridge Theatre Company website.
The Snow Queen at Cambridge Junction
Following an unprecedented year, Cambridge Junction is back to bring you its latest festive treat; Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, as you’ve never seen it before. Action, adventure, live music and festive magic combine to make for a truly memorable outing, complete with a sprinkling of snow…
Having produced the show in a brand-new format last year (The Snow Queen became a digital movie in lieu of an in-person performance), the New International Encounter team are once again performing the tale – this time for a live audience.
“Although we enjoyed trying out something different, we didn’t really have enough scope with the digital version,” says Alex Byrne, artistic director of the production. “With the live show, we can portray a lot more of where the story starts and where it ends. Anyone who saw the digital version may recognise some parts, but for sure, they should still come and see it live! It’s a different kind of magic.”
The classic story is given a new lease of life in the stage production, and makes for an involving experience, packed with joy, live music and a sense of fun. “It’s a lovely family fairy tale,” Alex explains. “It’s full of fantastic storytelling, imagination and fantasy – with a really great, plucky heroine.” This expanded version of the original production has a sort of dreamy quality to it, allowing the audience to invent their own interpretations of the plot, thanks to its funny, touching, almost folky feel. It offers an alternative to the traditional brashness of panto, but still promises to be a blast.
“There’s a real sense of excitement welcoming people back to the Junction,” Alex adds. “It’s great to see everyone coming out and supporting live performance at their local venues, so we can create something really imaginative together.”
All in all, there’s never been a more inviting time to get out and about and enjoy a show, agrees Matt Burman, artistic director at Cambridge Junction. “We’re so happy to be able to share with you, at last, our fantastic new adaptation of The Snow Queen,” he enthuses. “Last Christmas we made the best of a difficult time to co-produce a beautiful film. It introduced audiences to a magical world, imagined by our excellent friends at New International Encounter. This Christmas, we will complete that tale and bring it to life before your very eyes! The Snow Queen promises to be the perfect show to share with our friends and families… something really special and perfectly seasonal, full of adventurous children, reindeer, crows, bandits, magic, music, laughter and epic storytelling.”
Book your tickets for The Snow Queen through the Cambridge Junction website. The show will be running from 8 December until 3 January.
The Flint Street Nativity at the ADC Theatre
Alongside this year’s effort from the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club and Cambridge Footlights (check out Rapunzel, 24 November to 4 December), the ADC Theatre is also welcoming the Combined Actors of Cambridge this month, performing The Flint Street Nativity. It’s a light-hearted take on the age-old nativity, designed to bring plenty of laughs and levity to the stage.
“The Flint Street Nativity is written by the author of Calendar Girls. If you’re familiar with that, you’ll know it mixes comedy with moments of real poignancy, and The Flint Street Nativity is no different,” says director Sean Baker. “Leaving aside the obvious fun to be had in seeing adults playing seven-year-old children, the comedy is rooted in all the things we know from primary school: homemade costumes, competitive parents, dodgy singing and last-minute replacements.”
It may not be your traditional panto, but that doesn’t mean you won’t come away with a smile. The show is brimming with humour: “In addition, we get the blunt cruelty of the playground, bringing not only comedy, but also adding a layer of pathos to the piece: the boy with the crippling lisp, unrequited first love and children cruelly shunned by friendship groups,” Sean adds.
There are plenty of hilarious highlights to look forward to – and that goes for the cast as well as the audience. Sean explains: “I am looking forward to the audience picking up the nuances of the play. The moment when one character realises that not only is his dad not in the audience, but that his mother has actually come with someone else. And, this being a comedy, I can’t wait to hear audiences laugh: at the kid in the homemade donkey head, the boy re-enacting A Question of Sport, the girl explaining how babies are born, or the squabbles over who gets to be Mary.” It’s set to be a raucous ride – and one not to miss.
The Flint Street Nativity will be showing from 7 to 11 December. Pick up your tickets on the ADC Theatre website.
Aladdin at Cambridge Arts Theatre
Over at Cambridge Arts Theatre, the good old thrill of a fantasy tale is on the menu, and it doesn’t get any more classic than Aladdin. Carl Au (pictured right), stars in the title role, and the production is crowned by an appearance from the one and only Matt Crosby – the city’s favourite pantomime dame. It promises to be a veritable spectacular, packed with catchy tunes, dazzling costumes and family-friendly tomfoolery.
“Christmas wouldn’t be the same in Cambridge without the Arts Theatre panto,” says writer Al Lockhart-Morley. “You can expect all the trademark songs and silliness, glitzy costumes and showstopping musical numbers, and you’ll be rolling in the aisles with laughter! We’ve got a dream cast – West End stars, up-and-coming talent, and who could forget Cambridge’s number one dame, Matt Crosby. At this rate, he should get a key to the city – he’s been in service for so long… who wouldn’t want to write for that line-up!”
Putting together any kind of show has been extra challenging this year, and it’s all the more impressive that Cambridge Arts Theatre has managed to pull off such a fun production. In fact, the play is set to be bigger and better than ever before.
“Staging a production, after the terrible 18 months the theatre industry has had, is something to be proud of – it’s testament to the amazing work that the team at Cambridge Arts Theatre are doing that we’re bringing you a full-scale panto this year,” adds Al. “Theatre needs your support more than ever to bounce back after such a long period of uncertainty, and we’re putting on a fabulous show to welcome families back this Christmas!”
Catch Aladdin from 2 December to 9 January. Tickets are available to purchase through the Cambridge Arts Theatre website.
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