What’s on this Christmas at Brighton Dome
We have flying umbrellas, festive singalongs, bewitching ballet, a visit from The Snowman and much more to explore this winter. Click here to book tickets for our Christmas programme, and read on to find out more about the shows.
Air Play weaves together breathtaking circus, comedy and dazzling scenic effects for a family show that captures both the wonder and the excitement of the season. The show is a colourful and poetic ode to childhood that will enchant and electrify both the young and the young-at-heart.
Air Play is performed by its creators: husband and wife clown partners Seth Bloom & Christina Gelsone, who met at a circus in Afghanistan. Their wordless shows have been performed in over 18 countries and they continue to teach social circus in post-conflict zones, remaining dedicated to projects in Afghanistan with the Mobile Mini Circus for Children. The New York Times profiled Seth & Christina in 2009, who produced an informative 3 minute video about the couple.
The Snow Queen meanwhile features a more classical type of dance: ballet! Returning to Brighton Dome with their sell-out Christmas show from 2015, Ballet Theatre UK bring us an enchanted retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy-tale - the story that inspired Disney's Frozen. One audience member commented that they were ‘swept away with the performance and thoroughly enjoyed doing something with three generations of family’.
“When you’re homeless, so much of what you experience strips you of your dignity. The Choir with No Name gave me hope & optimism. It was my North Star in a constellation of helplessness. It gave me my dignity back." Ronnie, former North London choir member
Following a barnstorming performance from their London choirs at Brighton Dome last Christmas, The Choir with No Name (an organisation running choirs for people who’ve experienced homelessness) will be returning to Brighton Dome on Fri 15 Dec. The show is fast becoming a stalwart in the Christmas calendar, with audience members coming back year after year to join in with a host of festive favourites, from ‘Winter Wonderland to ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day’, and everything in between. Profits from the night will support the Choir with No Name as well as local charities, Brighton Housing Trust and The Clock Tower Sanctuary.
Brighton Festival Chorus Christmas Concert
Brighton Festival Chorus are also returning to the Concert Hall for their joyous and humorous celebration of the very best of Christmas music, including the chance to sing your favourite carols, and to bring along your own terrible Christmas joke to be read out. There's also a chance for one lucky person to try their hand at conducting. Interaction with the audience is the key to a fun concert, as the trailer below explains.
The Nutcracker Suite and The Snowman (With Live Orchestra)
Two seasonal favourites come together in a special Christmas event. The story of The Nutcracker is brought to life with a special narration read by CBeebies own Pui Fan Lee, accompanied by beautiful, newly created illustrations. This is followed by The Snowman, screened with a live performance of Walking in The Air, the soundtrack to every child's Christmas. Both pieces are accompanied throughout by the SouthBank Sinfonia (conducted by Ben Palmer).
For younger ones, we have Leaf, which takes the under-3s on a heart-warming journey through the seasons in an intimate and playful introduction to theatre for the very young. Set to a gently evocative soundscape, the changing face of nature through the year is the inspiration for an uplifting tale of growth and rebirth. At the end of the performance, children are invited onto the stage to play among the leaves and explore the tactile world of nature.
We also have a free Christmas Open Day with a photo opportunity & craft activities, an Etsy Christmas Market to browse for stylish, contemporary gifts and a New Year’s Eve Viennese Gala with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, so you can extend the holiday period for as long as possible!