News: Double the Festive Fun at Queen’s Hall Hexham with Two Magical Family Shows This Christmas

Double the Festive Fun at Queen’s Hall Hexham with Two Magical Family Shows This Christmas

Queen’s Hall Hexham is set to dazzle families this December with two brand-new Christmas productions, brought to life by the creative team behind last year’s hit Jack and the Beanstalk.

In the Main Theatre, audiences aged 6 and over are invited on a howling adventure with Red Riding Hood (6 December – 3 January). This magical retelling sees Red Little journey from Hexham through the enchanted woods of Northumberland, with original music and puppetry creating a festive experience full of wonder.

Red Riding Hood, 6 December – 3 January

Meanwhile, in the Studio, little ones aged 6 and under can enjoy The Great Big Christmas Wrapping Disaster (6 – 31 December), a delightfully mischievous show packed with festive fun, music, and puppetry. When elf Wish is given the biggest job of the year—wrapping all the presents—things don’t quite go to plan!

The Great Big Christmas Wrapping Disaster, 6 - 31 December

Both productions come from Triple Treat, a new collaboration between Bob Nicholson, Paula Penman, and Caroline Liversidge. Their previous Halloween shows for Northern Stage—The Gingerbread Man and The Bat with No Bite—were sell-out hits.

Bob Nicholson shared his excitement: “It's fantastic to be back in Hexham for Christmas this year! I’ve been making Christmas shows with Kitchen Zoo for Queen’s Hall since 2019, so as you can imagine the audiences in Hexham mean a lot to me. Last year I made the biggest show I’ve ever made, Jack and the Beanstalk, which was a wonderful experience and I’m so pleased to be bringing the Christmas magic to Queen’s Hall this year with Triple Treat.”

Kitchen Zoo, which closed last year after eight years of creating theatre for young audiences, left a legacy of beloved shows like The Three Bears and Hey Diddle Diddle. Bob will direct The Great Big Christmas Wrapping Disaster, while Red Riding Hood will be directed by Paula Penman.

Paula added: “I’ve been an actor in Christmas shows at Queen’s Hall a number of times throughout the years including playing Jack’s Mam last year in Jack and the Beanstalk, so I’m really pleased to be back in Hexham this year directing Red Riding Hood. It's also the first time Triple Treat have made a Christmas show, so expect lots of festive fun!”

Bob Nicholson, Paula Penman and Caroline Liversidge in Triple Treat Rehearsals

Caroline Liversidge spoke about the creative process: “We’re currently assembling a creative team of wonderfully talented people from across the region as well as casting, which is no mean feat for not one but two Christmas shows! We’ll be working with some familiar faces and hopefully some new ones too who will all bring their talents and genius. It's really exciting to be working at Queen’s Hall and with their marvellous team, we can't wait for you to see the shows.”

Katy Taylor, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Queen’s Hall Arts, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be working with Bob once again this year, and to be welcoming back Paula and collaborating with Caroline for the first time... Once again, we’re raising money through our Theatre Tickets Fund. Every £10 donated helps make it possible for a local child to experience the magic of live theatre.”

Queen’s Hall is also offering free tickets to Emergency Services staff on Saturday 6 December at 2.30pm, as a heartfelt thank you for their dedication.

Tickets:

🎄 The Great Big Christmas Wrapping Disaster runs 6 – 31 December. Tickets from £9.50.

🐺 Red Riding Hood runs 6 December – 3 January. Tickets from £13.

🎟 Book now: www.queenshall.co.uk | 📞 01434 652 477

💝 Donate to the Theatre Tickets Fund to help a child enjoy the magic of live theatre.