Christmas Theatre and Dance in London

This is a great Christmas for London's Theatreland, with a mixture of annual favourites returning, and some top new shows. As always, there is a strong emphasis on ballet, and on family entertainment, but there are also Shakespeare comedies, Hollywood stars, musicals and a host of other treats to ensure that every taste is catered for in the festive season...

Carrie's War

Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R
23rd November 2006 - 6th January 2007

Nina Bawden's sweet tale of two wartime children evacuated to the Welsh valleys has never achieved a real place in the classroom canon. Yet those who have read it are evangelical about the charms of the excitable Carrie and her quest to discover the roots of an ancient curse.

The Peacock Theatre have a good record with adaptations of children's classics. Their simple, moving version of 'Little Women' had a successful transfer to the West End in 2004, and last year they put on a hugely entertaining version of 'The Railway Children'.

Much of the drama of 'Carrie's War' takes place in its heroine's overactive imagination, so there will be plenty of atmospheric special effects for the Sadler's Wells team to get their teeth into. This should be a thoroughly entertaining show for children and parents alike.

Suitable for ages 8+

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Little Shop of Horrors

Menier Chocolate Factory, 4 O'Meara Street, SE1
7th November 2006 - 25th February 2007

Assistant florist Seymour is broke, shy and hopelessly in love, when a chance discovery seems to be changing his luck. The exotic plant he discovers can change his life - so long as he's prepared to satisfy its craving for fresh blood...

Mike McShane stars as the R'n'B-singing carnivorous space plant in this glorious spoof of 1950s B-movie horror. The songs are by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken - most famous for Disney classics 'The Little Mermaid', 'Beauty And The Beast' and 'Aladdin' - and this show contains some brilliant numbers. It's also got that mix of mild terror and brilliant jokes that teenagers and older children love, so it's perfect for a family Christmas outing. Check out the film to decide whether it's too scary for your kids. We think it'll be OK for anyone over eight - and certainly quality entertainment for grown-ups.

The Menier Chocolate Factory have assembled a great cast and brought in some top puppeteers to build the plant. 'Little Shop of Horrors' was one of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, so it's only appropriate that it should be staged by the current star of London's fringe.

Little Shop of Horrors - Information | Hotels near Menier Chocolate Factory

The History Boys

Wyndhams Theatre, Charing Cross Road, WC2
21st December 2006 - 14th April 2007

Set in a small northern grammar school in the eighties, 'The History Boys' follows a maverick English teacher and his unruly sixth form class as they clash with the rest of the staff and the Oxbridge-obsessed headmaster.

In some hands this might be a dry-as-dust exposition on the importance of education and the evils of Thatcherism, but Alan Bennett's dialogue zips and fizzes with raucous energy. As well as being rueful and heart-warming, this is one of theatre's few truly convincing recreations of the schoolroom.

A drama, satire, sketch-show, and serious exposition on the meaning of history this was another triumph for director Nicholas Hytner - though he's taken a back seat for this new production, leaving the hands-on directing duties to Simon Cox.

A welcome return for this scintillating production that won the Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and South Bank Show awards for Best New Play, before being made into a hit film.

Book Tickets

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Much Ado About Nothing

Novello Theatre, The Aldwych, WC2
7th December 2006 - 6th January 2007

An intelligent and tense comedy of conflicting egos and male pride, 'Much Ado About Nothing' is perhaps the Shakespeare play whose humour has best withstood the test of time. The terse exchanges between Benedick and Beatrice, tricked by mischievous friends into falling in love, remain a staple inspiration for writers of romantic comedies everywhere.

The RSC's new production translates the action from Sicily to 1950s Cuba, a rather arbitrary decision that nonetheless offers the opportunity for some dashing military costumes and a thrilling carnival score. Tamsin Greig's feisty performance as Beatrice is a joy from start to finish, and Don Weir is an impressively sinister Don John, in a version that otherwise sensibly ignores the play's darker side. An infectious Latin American romp that should bring some welcome sunshine to the London stage this Christmas.

Book Tickets

Much Ado About Nothing - Information |Hotels near Novello Theatre

Coram Boy

National Theatre, South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1
29th November 2006 - 22nd February 2007

Jamila Gavin's Whitbread award-winning children's book was a grand swashbuckling adventure following two orphans through the dark heart of the 18th-century. Toby, saved from an African slave ship, and Aaron, the abandoned son of the heir to a great estate, both team up to restore their fortunes.

The National Theatre proved how well its massive stage could work for a grand, Gothic children's adventure when it made its brilliant version of Phillip Pullman's 'Northern Lights'. This new show is just as entertaining, a magnificent adventure that brings a violent era to life with an immediacy that only live theatre can offer.

This is not at all suitable for young children (far too exciting), but if you want to get your teens and pre-teens into the theatre, this an absolutely perfect Christmas treat. And if you don't have any kids bring nieces, nephews or cousins, because any excuse will do to see a show that's this much fun.

Book Tickets

Coram Boy - Information |Hotels near South Bank Centre

Love Song

New Ambassadors Theatre, West Street, WC2
25th November 2006 - 3rd March 2007

Joan worries about her brother. While she lives with her husband Harry in a stunning loft apartment, their only worries the pressures of work and success, Beane, suffering from depression, is trapped in a miserable bedsit. When a soulmate arrives, it is in the form of feisty burglar Molly.

John Kolvenbach's meditation on the redemptive power of love has been compared to the work of Albee and Mamet - though it's rather softer-centred than anything by those two acerbic playwrights. Fizzing dialogue, meets with concise plotting and a genuinely shocking twist to produce a small, but perfectly formed tale of modern urban life.

The cast features Neve Campbell, two-time Emmy-winning Kristen Johnston (Sally from 'Third Rock...'), Michael McKean of 'This is Spinal Tap', and Cillian Murphy, whose roles in '28 Days Later' and 'Batman Begins' have made him one of Britain's hottest actors. The three US stars have distinguished Broadway careers, so the only question is whether Cillian Murphy can translate his brooding charm to a medium where those extraordinary blue eyes won't be quite so visible.

Love Song - Information |Hotels near New Ambassador's Theatre

The Nutcracker

The Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, WC2
8th - 24th December 2006

Gerald Scarfe's amazing sets turn this classic children's ballet into an extraordinary spectacle. The toy soldiers fly in on parachutes, lollipops dance around, and snowflakes leap from a giant freezer to spin wildly around the heroes. Tchaikovsky's music remains as sweetly compelling as ever, and there is no doubt that this hyperactive, high-energy production from the English National Ballet will be a huge hit with the kids.

There is a much more traditional version of the same ballet on at the Royal Opera House, and those who love this work for its gentle portrayal of childhood innocence, might be better advised to go for that one. If you want to see something extraordinary, though, this is the Christmas show for you.

The Nutcracker - Information |Hotels near The Nutcracker

Alice in Wonderland

The Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, WC2
28th December 2006 - 27th January 2007

'Alice in Wonderland' is children's ballet as it should be, with fabulous, ever-changing costumes and sets that really bring the surreal tale of Alice's bizarre adventures to life. Most of the darker elements of the original books have been cut-out to leave a brightly-coloured, cartoonish comedy. As in the books, the humour comes from Alice's serious and well-mannered reaction to the chaotic excesses going on around her, and dance is a great way to convey this intensely visual tale.

A brilliantly bouncy white rabbit - particularly extraordinary, since it should be nearly impossible to dance in such a huge costume - and a delightfully lugubrious caterpillar are probably the two highlights, but children will absolutely love every part of this gleeful celebration of the weird and the wonderful.

Book Tickets

Alice in Wonderland - Information |Hotels near Coliseum

Twelfth Night

Old Vic Theatre, Waterloo Road, SE1
5th January 2007 - 17th February 2007

When people talk about Edward Hall's company, Propeller, they can't help but focus on the all-male cast. It's been done before at the Globe and elsewhere, to varying degrees of success. But Edward Hall's company of players isn't merely a one trick pony; fresh, inventive takes on Shakespeare and some inspired direction are what have taken their productions to the West End and Broadway.

The completely male cast lends itself well to the tale of shipwrecked siblings Viola and Sebastian. The comic moments drawn from the confusing love triangles that ensue when Viola dresses as a man, are sharpened by the extra layer of gender-bending. Loud and lewd, Propeller will give the Old Vic audience some Shakespeare to talk about.

Book Tickets

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Matthew Bourne's 'Swan Lake'

Sadler's Wells, Roseberry Avenue, EC1
13th December 2006 - 21st January 2007

Matthew Bourne's hugely successful 'Swan Lake' comes home for Christmas. This highly original production premiered at Sadler's Wells 10 years ago and became the West End's longest running ballet before playing on Broadway and touring the world. The all-male cast, and menacing sets turn the sweet fairy-story into a passionate, high-energy affair.

Innovative and exciting, provocative and powerful, this multi-award winning production audaciously transforms one of ballet's best-loved stories into a startlingly contemporary tale. Running throughout the festive period, this is a welcome return for one the capital's favourite Christmas treats.

Book Tickets

Matthew Bourne's 'Swan Lake' - Information |Hotels near Sadler's Wells