Preview: Festive season begins at Bishop Auckland Town Hall

Festive season begins at Bishop Auckland Town Hall

Dazzling divas, a Christmas adventure and a tale involving some magic beans will entertain audiences from this month, as a town hall announces its line-up of festive shows.

For the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic and its refurbishment, Bishop Auckland Town Hall will be showing four exciting festive performances in the run up to Christmas.

To kick off the festive season, the town hall will give the stage over to a troupe of dynamic drag queens in Queenz, for one night only on Saturday 27 November. Featuring five vocal powerhouses armed with killer choreography and iconic pop anthems from the likes of The Spice Girls, Lady GaGa, Shakira and Britney Spears, people can dance the night away while celebrating everything divas, drag queens and death drops. Whether booking as a Christmas party or a night out with friends, audiences can make a full night of it with pre-show food and a post-show DJ set included in the ticket price of £20.

For younger audiences and their grown-ups, from Tuesday 30 November the town hall will be showing a brand-new production, The Nutcracker Re-Miced. Set in the clock tower of Durham Castle, three mice Spike, Cookie and Molly are preparing for Christmas when they become involved in a mysterious quest. With the help of an intriguing toy which has been left behind at Durham Station, the mice become entwined in a festive adventure to save Christmas for a young girl. In a twist on the classic Nutcracker story and the Hickory Dickory Dock nursery rhyme, young audiences aged three and over can enjoy this sparkling new, music-filled production full of adventure and excitement.

The Nutcracker Re-Miced will be shown at Bishop Auckland Town Hall at various times from 30 November to 5 December, with a British Sign Language performance on 1 December at 1.30pm and a relaxed performance on 4 December at 10.30am.

On Monday 13 December, audiences can enjoy an evening of comedy as Hillary Bites Club presents Aidan Goatley’s 12 Nights of Christmas. Laugh along with Aidan as he shares what has shaped his love of the festive season, with anecdotes such as the tale of his Gran and a 32lb Turkey. Tickets for the Christmassy comedy evening are £8 advance, or £10 on the door.

And, to finish off the Christmas festivities, Bishop Auckland Town Hall will present three days of pantomime fun with their production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Produced by TaleGate Theatre Productions, join hero Jack and his mother, Dame Trott, as they climb a beanstalk and defeat a terrible giant to save their best friend, Daisy the Cow. Packed with songs, slapstick, silliness, and all the fairy tale magic of traditional pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk is set to be the town hall’s funniest and most spectacular pantomime ever.

The panto will be shown for three days on Friday 17 December, Saturday 18 December and Sunday 19 December.  Tickets are £10 or £8 concession, and family tickets are priced at £32 for two adults and two children.

Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “We are really excited to be able to offer such variety of Christmas shows for all ages at Bishop Auckland Town Hall. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and refurbishment works, two of our festive seasons have been very much missed and we are so looking forward to their return. Our Christmas programme is just one of many events that take place at Bishop Auckland Town Hall throughout the year, from art exhibitions and galleries to music and performances. We have a large and varied cultural offer right across all of our venues in County Durham, supporting our county in its bid for UK City of Culture 2025.”

 

Tickets:

For more information about Bishop Auckland Town Hall’s Christmas programme, or to book tickets online, visit www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk  

To book tickets over the phone, visitors can call the Gala Theatre’s box office on 03000 266600

Customers should also contact Gala Theatre or Empire Consett directly by phone if they have any special access requirements or require a personal assistant place.