The best Christmas theatre shows across the UK

Getting lost in the wonders of the ballet, unwinding with a tinselly comedy, taking in an immersive festive drama: theatre is a great way to get in the mood for Christmas. This year, there are some excellent Christmas shows being staged around the UK.

Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas, Birmingham

Sherlock and Watson face “a seasonal challenge” to find gold rings and save French hens in this comedy whodunnit written by Humphrey Ker and David Reed, said Clive Davis in The Times. The writer duo also take on the roles of the mystery-solving pair, while John Kearns plays “Scotland Yard stalwart”, Inspector Lestrade. The production features “a sprinkling of original songs” by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, adding some musical theatre to the Victorian costume caper. Suitable for age 10 plus.
14 November-18 January; birmingham-rep.co.uk

Bananas for Christmas, Inverness

This bubbly and light-hearted show follows a “pair of banana-loving beach-dwellers” who get a bit tangled up in tinsel, said Mark Fisher in The Guardian. Produced by the “excellent Moray-based children’s company”, Frozen Charlotte, it’s an inclusive and welcoming celebration of friendship, fun and the magic of Christmas. Suitable from nursery age up; some relaxed performances.
11-24 December; eden-court.co.uk

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The Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker, London

The story of “The Nutcracker” is “almost impossible for a producer to mould into a coherent narrative”, said Dan Cavendish in The Telegraph. And yet “that is exactly” what choreographer Peter Wright has done with his legendary staging for The Royal Ballet. His “knack for lucid storytelling has seldom served him better” and the design is both “opulent and night-before-Christmas cosy”. Highlights include Act One’s transformation scene, which leaves “little ones wide-eyed in wonder”, and a magnificent house orchestra that makes Tchaikovsky’s “magical score fly”. Suitable for age five plus.
22 November-5 January; rbo.org.uk

Gawain and The Green Knight, London

Not all Christmas shows are “just for kids”, said Andrzej Lukowski in Time Out. Adults looking for some stagey festive fun have options, too. “Gawain and The Green Knight”, is “pretty damn alternative”, as far as Christmas shows go. The comedy reframes the medieval romance, setting it at an office Christmas party for Camelot Corp, where “jobsworth middle manager” Gawain tries to kick out a “gatecrashing knight” in the hopes of wowing his boss, Arthur. Suitable for age 13 plus.
10-24 December; parktheatre.co.uk

A Christmas Carol, Belfast

Back after its “acclaimed run last year”, Marie Jones’ adaptation of the classic Dickens tale is set in Belfast and “staged as a play within a play”, said Mark Fisher in The Guardian. You watch the show being put on by the “Pottinger Players, a band of working-class actors who know all about poverty and exploitation” – adding another dimension to the story. Dan Gordon reprises his role as Scrooge. Suitable for age eight plus.
28 November-10 January; lyrictheatre.co.uk

Nutcracker in Havana Tour, various locations

Cuban-British ballet dancer Carlos Acosta’s colourful reimagining of the classic Christmas ballet breathes Latin flavour into Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece. The inspiration for this “feelgood rewrite” is Acosta‘s “Cuban childhood”, said Debra Craine in The Times. But, yes, there are still “dancing snowflakes”, even though “it may never snow in Havana”. The production is touring the UK, from London to Aberdeen. Suitable for age eight plus.
18 November-11 February; musicalsontour.co.uk