Sat. Nov 23rd, 2024

Duck Pond

Southbank Centre 19-30 December 2024

Trailblazing Australian circus company Circa (Humans, Danger Club, Depart) bring their extraordinary reimagining of Swan Lake to London this Christmas. Created by circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble expect stunts, sequins, flippers and feathers! Duck Pond is a daring extravaganza that blends spectacular circus and world-class storytelling for audiences of all ages. Feathers will fly in this exhilarating tale of beautiful swans, a hapless prince, and a cheeky flipper-wearing duck army. It brims with eye-popping stunts, jaw-dropping aerials and rib-tickling comedy. Circa is one of the world’s leading performance companies.  Founded in 2004 Brisbane, Australia, they have extensively toured the world performing in more than 45 countries to nearly 2 million people. It continues to push the boundaries of the art form, blurring the lines between movement, dance, theatre and circus.

Room on the Broom

Lyric Theatre 22 November 2024 – 5 January 2025

Jump on board the broom with the witch and her cat in Tall Stories’ fun-filled adaptation of Room on the Broom, the best-selling picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The witch and her cat are travelling on their broomstick when they pick up some hitch-hikers – a friendly dog, a beautiful green bird and a frantic frog. But this broomstick’s not meant for five and – CRACK – it snaps in two… just as the hungry dragon appears.

Will there ever be room on the broom for everyone? Find out in the magical Olivier Award-nominated show for everyone aged 3 and up.

Little Angel Theatre Company:

The Singing Mermaid

23 Nov–26 Jan 2025, Little Angel Theatre

Join us on a fun, warm-hearted musical adventure this Christmas as this joyful and charming family favourite returns to LAT, following a hugely successful national tour.

Through beautiful puppetry and performance, and with music by Barb Jungr (We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, The Pixie and the Pudding, The Smartest Giant in Town, There May be a Castle and Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book), Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’s enormously popular story, The Singing Mermaid, is brought to life.

Rosie Robin and the Christmas Post

23 Nov–05 Jan 2025, Little Angel Theatre

Welcome to the post office! It’s the busiest time of the year! The letters and parcels are piling up high and Rosie Robin is working hard delivering the Christmas Post. But when a snowstorm sweeps through Clover Leaf Wood, the animals must come together to make sure all the mail arrives on time.

Blending puppetry, physical performance and song, this gentle, magical, heart-warming show tells the story of one tiny Robin determined that no one is forgotten this Christmas.

Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book

5 Dec 2024 – 5 Jan 2025, Trafalgar Studios

Delve into a world of books this Christmas as Little Angel’s joyful new adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book transfers to the West End. The puppet filled musical reunites adaptors Barb Jungr and Samantha Lane (who also directs) following their celebrated collaboration on the Olivier-nominated ‘The Smartest Giant in Town’. Using puppetry and enchanting original songs, Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book celebrates the joy of reading by bringing to life the many magical worlds that can be found inside picture books, inspiring even the most reluctant young readers along the way. Julia Donaldson said: “It is a story that celebrates the joy of reading in many forms – books, magazines and even encyclopaedias. It is a book within a book within a book.”

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By Penny McCarthy

Penny McCarthy is a seasoned entrepreneur and co-founder of Parents News UK, a pioneering publication launched in 1993 to serve the needs of busy parents in Southwest London. Alongside her husband, Fergus McCarthy, Penny played a crucial role in the rapid expansion of the printed edition, which grew from a local startup to a widely circulated monthly publication with a reach of 192,000 copies across Kent, South London, and beyond. Under Penny’s leadership, Parents News quickly became a trusted resource for families, providing valuable information on education, entertainment, sports, and family-friendly events. Her vision helped the publication extend its influence with franchises in Northern Ireland and Cornwall, catering to a growing demand for accessible, family-oriented content. In 1997, recognising the importance of digital media, Penny spearheaded the launch of Parents News UK Online. The website initially mirrored the content of the printed editions and has since evolved into a comprehensive online resource for parents, achieving significant popularity with up to 700 daily hits. In 2017, the publication transitioned fully to an online platform, continuing to inform and engage families across the UK. Today, Penny remains deeply involved in the ongoing success of Parents News UK, focusing on innovative advertising opportunities and future growth plans. Her dedication to supporting families through accessible and practical content has made Parents News a cherished name in households across the country.

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