Festivals

We'll start off in Bristol where the big show at the Hippodrome this year is Mamma Mia, which runs from 30 November all the way through to 2 February 2008.

The tale of a mother, a daughter, three possible dads and a memorable trip down the aisle has now played to more than 30 million people all around the world.

Catherine Johnson's sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise and coupled with ABBA's timeless songs this is certainly a feel-good show for the festive season.

Ducks and Alice

Meanwhile, the Tobacco Factory has picked up the Old Vic mantle with two shows for different ages on offer this Christmas.

First up is The Ugly Duckling which runs from 6 December - 20 January.

Through the looking glass with Alice

The Tobacco Factory Theatre teams up with young people’s theatre company Travelling Light to produce this new adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s famous story, the venue's first festive show especially for tots.

The team behind Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Eric Carle’s Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me bring imagination to this much loved tale, using live music, movement, simple objects and materials, along with a rubber duck or two!

Running alongside The Ugly Duckling is Alice Through the Looking Glass. Hattie Naylor’s quirky adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s topsy-turvy tale.

When Alice finds herself through the Looking Glass she tries to understand her strange surroundings by wending her way across a chess-board land where the right moves will make her the queen. Along the way she meets Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Jabberwocky, Humpty-Dumpty, the Walrus and the Carpenter and an array of living chess pieces.

Physical theatre and former Rondo Artistic Director Andy Burden, directs a fast moving interpretation of this wacky story, using larger-than-life characters, comedy and film, alongside Paul Dodgson’s score. It runs from 13 December – 20 January.

Bad Santa

A rather more adult show comes to the Alma Tavern in Clifton this Christmas with Open Box Productions' festive offering The Eight: Reindeer Monologues by Jeff Goode.

Santa on trial in Reindeer Monologues

Scandal erupts when one of Santa's eight reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment.
As a media circus surrounds the event, each member of the sleigh team demands to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges, which seems to implicate everyone from the smallest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

“That man has been a walking, talking, holly jolly sex-crime waiting to happen” – Cupid.

The Eight: Reindeer Monologues runs from 19-22 December starting at 8pm. Tickets are £9 / £6 concs available on the door. Alternatively tickets can be booked via www.almataverntheatre.co.uk or at the Box Office on: 0117 9467899.

Christmas crackers

A sparkling new musical revue that takes a wry look at Christmas from the first pop of the champagne cork through the presents, the parties, the pantos and beyond, is the first of three seasonal offerings from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School this year.

The show fizzes with humour from Tom Lehrer, John Betjeman, Julian Slade, Fascinating Aida, Joyce Grenfell, Charles Dickens, Victoria Wood, Irving Berlin, Noël Coward, Dylan Thomas, Pam Ayres, Frank Loesser, Cole Porter and Jenny Éclair.

The Christmas story from theatre school

Add a liberal sprinkling of classic seasonal songs – from Walking in a Winter Wonderland to White Christmas – and you have the recipe for an intoxicating early Christmas present.

It takes place in the Studio of Bristol Old Vic from 28 November – 8 December.

And another Christmas treat is the theatre school's staging of panto Jack and the Beanstalk, which comes to the Redgrave Theatre in Clifton from 6-20 December.

The story of hapless Jack, the magic beans, the castle in the clouds, the golden hen, the singing harp and Jack’s encounter with the evil giant is a favourite for many families and is sure to be a big draw.

Also look out for the theatre school's very popular annual Nativity, this year taking place at the Redgrave Theatre on 8 and 15 December.

Cinderella

And there's more panto fun at musical venue St George's off park Street this Christmas. A Bristol actor and his producer wife, who felt that children in the city were being ill-served for seasonal theatrical fare this Christmas, have decided to solve the problem - by putting on a show.

Fairytale panto at St George's

Alix and Tom Shearman from Creaking Door Productions, bring the pantomime Cinderella to St George's from 27 December until 6 January 2008. Tickets are available from the Box Office on 0845 40 24 4001.

Not quite as festive - but a good humorous night out, is the seasonal show from the Kelvin Players.

Silly Cow by Ben Elton comes to the Player's Studio Theatre in Gloucester Road from December 4–8 at 7.30pm.

Revolving around the antics of super bitch, Doris Wallis, a vicious tabloid journalist, a circus of human vainglory is conjured up. Ultimately, the old adage "see how the mighty are fallen" is proven.

And at the Alma Tavern in Clifton, twice nightly from 11-15 December you can catch Fragile Theatre Partnership's Last Panto in Little Grimley by David Tristram.

More adult humour with the tale of Gordon, who has written a Sex Panto much to the chargrin of Margaret, who believes he’s messing with tradition and refuses to reveal her breasts on principle. Meanwhile, Joyce’s cat costume has been for the chop and she’s suffering delusions of West End grandeur and the back end of the panto horse has concussion and the front end can’t see! 

Catch the shows at 7.30pm and 9pm.

Bath shows

Bath is the place to find a big traditional panto this Christmas, with the seasonal offering of Aladdin taking place at the city's Theatre Royal from 13 December to 20 January 2008.

Panto time approaches - oh yes it does!

Panto stalwart Chris Harris takes the helm at this year's show, directing and starring as Widow Twankey, alongside Chris Till as the boy with the lamp and Clive Mantle as the evil Abanazar.

Find out more about the show and watch interviews with its stars by clicking the links below.

Meanwhile, the Egg Theatre has teamed up with Lyngo Theatre to produce two shows to complement the Theatre Royal’s family pantomime in the Main House. Hansel and Gretal and Circus Minimus appear at the Egg this Christmas.

Using the intimate performance space in the Egg to offer interactive theatre for young children, Lyngo presents the UK premiere of Hansel and Gretel (for four years plus) from 19-31 December and the world premiere of Circus Minimus (for two to four-year-olds) from 27 December to 6 January.

Hansel and Gretel at the Egg

Finally we check out Bath's Mission Theatre in Corn Street to find out what Christmas crackers they are offering this year.

From 5-15 December you can catch Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which is an ITV West workshop production.

With plenty of toe-tapping songs and big chorus numbers, and with tickets only £5, this is a great one for the family. Box Office: 0117 9722497.

And why not chill out with @Christmas with Aquae Sulis Jazz at the Mission Theatre on Wednesday 19 December at 7.30pm.

An evening of light jazz and popular music with a seasonal and festive feel is promised, performed by one of Bath’s leading quartets, with vocalist Debbie Workman and guest singer Suzanne Bunyar. Tickets from Bath Festival Box Office 01225 463362.