Audiences are in for a treat this December as members from the same team who presented last year’s highly acclaimed Jack and the Beanstalk present two brand-new shows for young audiences and families to enjoy in Hexham during the festive period.
For audiences aged 6+ and their families, a magical retelling of Red Riding Hood will play in the venue’s Main Theatre with performances running 6 December – 3 January. Audiences are invited to join Red Little on a howling adventure from Hexham through the woods of Northumberland this Christmas, with original music and puppetry.
In Queen’s Hall’s Studio, The Great Big Christmas Wrapping Disaster (6 – 31 December) will delight audiences aged 6 and under. With original music, puppetry and a sleigh load of festive fun, mischievous elf Wish is given the most important job of the year, wrapping everyone’s presents! Perfect for those who enjoyed previous sell-out shows Hey, Diddle, Diddle and The Night Before ChrisMouse at Queen’s Hall, the production offers a relaxed and interactive introduction to live theatre.
Kitchen Zoo’s Co-Director Bob Nicholson has teamed up with actor, director and theatre makers Paula Penman and Caroline Liversidge to form Triple Treat.
Triple Treat makes theatre shows for children and family audiences. Their first two shows, the spooktacular Halloween shows for Northern Stage The Gingerbread Man (2022) and The Bat with No Bite (2023), were both sell out productions full of music, puppetry and Halloween fun.
Bob Nicholson said: “It's fantastic to be back in Hexham for Christmas this year! I’ve been making Christmas shows with Kitchen Zoo for Queen’s Hall since 2019, so as you can imagine the audiences in Hexham mean a lot to me. Last year I made the biggest show I’ve ever made, Jack and the Beanstalk, which was a wonderful experience and I’m so pleased to be bringing the Christmas magic to Queen’s Hall this year with Triple Treat.”
Kitchen Zoo came to a close at the end of last year after an eight-year run of making first experience theatre shows for family audiences. Kitchen Zoo’s Christmas shows for Queen’s Hall include The Three Bears and Hey Diddle Diddle, the latter directed by Bob who will direct the The Great Big Christmas Wrapping Disaster for under 6s and their grown-ups in the Queen’s Hall Studio.
Paula Penman explained: “I’ve been an actor in Christmas shows at Queen’s Hall a number of times throughout the years including playing Jack’s Mam last year in Jack and the Beanstalk, so I’m really pleased to be back in Hexham this year directing Red Riding Hood. It's also the first time Triple Treat have made a Christmas show, so expect lots of festive fun!”
Caroline Liversidge said: “We’re currently assembling a creative team of wonderfully talented people from across the region as well as casting, which is no mean feat for not one but two Christmas shows! We’ll be working with some familiar faces and hopefully some new ones too who will all bring their talents and genius. It's really exciting to be working at Queen’s Hall and with their marvellous team, we can't wait for you to see the shows.”
Katy Taylor, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Queen’s Hall Arts, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be working with Bob once again this year, and to be welcoming back Paula and collaborating with Caroline for the first time. Having hosted so many of Bob’s productions at Queen’s Hall over the years, including last Christmas, we know just how much our audiences enjoy his work – and we can’t wait to see what Triple Treat brings to our stage this December.
Once again, we’re raising money through our Theatre Tickets Fund. Every £10 donated helps make it possible for a local child to experience the magic of live theatre. To date, the fund has supported more than 600 children to attend our Christmas shows.
We’re also proud to continue our tradition of giving back to those who give so much. On Saturday 6 December, we’re offering free tickets to Emergency Services staff as a heartfelt thank you to those who work tirelessly to keep us safe throughout the festive season and all year round.”
Tickets for both shows are now on sale online at the links below and at the Queen’s Hall Box Office (01434 652477).
Stay up to date with rehearsals and behind the scenes exclusives by following Queen’s Hall and Triple Treat on Facebook and Instagram.
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