FESTIVE SHOWS
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
A Christmas Carol is back at Biddy’s Tea Room in Norwich and Aylsham this year, with performances from December 7-23. It played to sold-out audiences in 2018 and 2019
The playful production by local theatre company The Keeper’s Daughter tells the famous story of the ghosts who visit Ebenezer Scrooge. See the Cratchit family and Tiny Tim too, with all the characters played by the two-person cast (plus puppets.) The drama lasts an hour and is ideal for children from five upwards, and adults too.
CROMER PIER
The Cromer Pier Christmas Show is packed with festive family fun including music, comedy, dance, magic and illusions and glitzy costumes, with some of the top names in variety. It’s hosted by Norfolk’s own Olly Day and features comedian and musician Jo Little, magician and illusionist Taylor Morgan, singers Rob McVeigh and Hayley Moss and the Cromer Pier Dancers at the Pavilion Theatre until December 30.
THURSFORD
Europe’s biggest and most lavish Christmas show is a glittering three hours of non-stop music, dance and comedy featuring a cast of 130 and awe-inspiring acts ranging from acrobats to a theatre organist. Stunningly beautiful arrangements of Christmas carols are set against breath-taking dance routines, shot through with comedy and incredible circus stunts. The whole sparkling show is staged along an immense stage and surrounded by decorated trees and fairground rides, Thursford’s tinsel-tastic Christmas Spectacular has entertained millions of people over the past 40 years and runs until December 23.
STRANGERS HALL
St Nicholas and the Wishing Tree is a magical Christmas treat at Strangers' Hall, Norwich, on Sunday December 5, 12 and 19. The puppet show, with hurdy-gurdy musical accompaniment will be shown three times each afternoon in historic Great Hall - followed by the chance to enjoy a festival trail through the house to enjoy its traditional Christmas decorations.
CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
The Christmas Spectacular circus and water show brings exhilarating festive fun and hugely talented performers to the Hippodrome Circus, Great Yarmouth from December 11-January 9.
VARIETY
Enjoy a festive cocktail of comedy, magic and music with Donimo and Monroe at Sheringham Little Theatre on December 18 and St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth on December 21. The Variety Show Christmas Special combines saxophone and singing with illusion and silent comedy. Donimo, who has been likened to Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton, has performed alongside Kylie Minogue and Stevie Wonder and Monroe has shared a stage with the Rolling Stones.
FESTIVE MUSIC
SHERINGHAM AND CROMER
Sing along to favourite Christmas carols and songs with the Sheringham and Cromer Choral Society on December 5 at Sheringham Little Theatre.
SLADE
Merry Christmas Everybody! Slade will be at the Waterfront, Norwich, on December 11. For flamboyant festive fun look no further. Slade has had 23 top-20 singles, six number-ones and six decades of pop success. The international glam rock stars began touring in 1966 and are still led by founder member and lead guitarist Dave Hill.
PHILHARMONIC
The Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra has two December concerts. Its Malcolm Arnold Centenary Concert in St Andrew’s Hall on December 11 honours the musician who lived near Attleborough until his death in 2006. Arnold wrote scores for more than 100 films including The Bridge Over the River Kwai, for which he won an Oscar. The programme of English classical music includes the Arnold Symphony No. 5 and the Spitfire Prelude Elgar Enigma Variations.
And on December 21 the orchestra joins with the Norwich Philharmonic Chorus for a Family Christmas Concert at St Andrew’s Hall, conducted by David Dunnett.
CITY CAROLS
City workers are invited to a special annual carol service at St Andrew’s church, alongside Cinema City, on December 16. The free seasonal service begins at 1.05pm and lasts just 40 minutes to allow people to enjoy the carols in their lunch break.
KING’S LYNN FESTIVAL CHORUS
Deck the Hall, with the King’s Lynn Festival Chorus, is ideal for children, as well as adults, (and tickets are free for under 16s.) Starting at 5.30pm on Saturday December 18, songs from Jingle Bells to Lullay Lulla are promised, with soloists, brass players from the Royal Academy of Music, percussionists and an organist. Tickets from King’s Lynn Corn Exchange.
AYLSHAM CROONER
The Christmas Crooners present an afternoon of songs from the golden age of the crooner, plus festive favourites and a tribute to the 1954 film White Christmas, at Aylsham Town Hall on Monday December 6. Tickets from JB Postle and Son, Aylsham.
FOLK
The Albion Band will take music-lovers on its folk-tastic tour of Christmas customs at Sheringham Little Theatre on December 20.
CITY CENTRE CELEBRATIONS
NORWICH TUNNEL OF LIGHT AND 900 YEARS OF CHRISTMAS
The magnificent Tunnel of Light returns to light up Norwich city centre through to January 5. The walk-through illumination will once-again shimmer with ever-changing patterns and colours from Millennium Plain to Gentleman’s Walk. Over the same dates festive projections on Norwich Castle will tell the story of a city Christmas exactly 900 years ago when Henry I celebrated with feasting and fun in his royal palace.
Nine centuries of Norwich Christmasses are celebrated at a pop-up installation at Norwich Market until December 17. The free Journey through Christmastime tells the story of Christmas in Norwich in pictures, with two market stalls decorated with trees and fairy lights, and images of festivities in Norwich through the centuries.
A linked Christmas Crown Trail, The Story of the King, runs through the city.
