Dates: 14 December 2018 – 5 January 2019
Tickets: Adults £15, under 18s £10
Jessie’s dad has brought her a lovely little present. It’s all wrapped up, and tied with a beautiful bow. She can’t wait to open it, but she isn’t allowed to until Christmas day.
Jessie shakes it and sniffs it and tries to sneak a peek, but Dad puts it just out of her reach and keeps a close eye on it.
Instead, he suggests she opens her advent calendar to keep her occupied. She opens the first window and…
Join in Jessie’s countdown to Christmas as she delights in all the festive treats that appear behind her advent calendar windows.
With gorgeous original live music, some gentle audience participation, and perhaps a cracker joke or two… join us for a charming Christmas treat from the team that brought you our hugely successful 2016 family show Extra Yarn. Perfect for everyone aged 3+ that just can’t wait for Christmas!
Our Verdict
Looking for a theatre treat for little ones? “Enchanting” is Linda Heffernan’s verdict on the Orange Tree’s latest family show, Can’t Wait For Christmas! On until January 5
What child hasn’t impatiently awaited the arrival of Christmas, that wonderful time of the year full of excitement and surprises? It seems our young heroine is no different. In this production, we meet a precocious and bored Jesse stomping around the room with nothing to do when her father unexpectedly arrives with a special Christmas present and sets it on the table. Excitedly she asks, “Is that for me?” To her disappointment, he tells her that she must wait for Christmas before opening it. When she begs him to stay and play with her he declines, but with a knowing look, he tells her, “You’ll have to amuse yourself”. As if on cue, our eagle-eyed Jesse spies a note on the Christmas present which says “Number 25. Find number one” and with that, the fun begins as Jesse embarks on a thoroughly entertaining treasure hunt to find all 24 numbered objects hidden around the room.
The plot is ingeniously simple and enchanting as each consecutive number from one to 24 is associated with a new object which Jesse brilliantly uses to amuse herself in a fun and imaginative way. We join along with Jesse as she launches into space, flies on a magic carpet, rides a roller coaster, plays in the snow, builds a snowman, tap dances and endless other creative pursuits, unconsciously following her father’s instructions to amuse herself. Jesse’s charming charades are brilliantly supported by live music, laughter, excited shouting and plenty of audience participation. When her father finally returns and gives Jesse permission to open her Christmas present, the magical surprise inside beautifully ties together the entire plot. A wonderfully happy ending to a highly amusing play.
This play is ideally suited for those aged 2-7 years old; however, adults will also enjoy the clever plot, special effects and entertaining charades. At approximately 50 minutes long, it is just the right length of time to keep very little ones interested and engaged. A young girl in front of me nicely summed it up when, upon leaving the theatre, she exclaimed to her mother, “That was really fun!”
It is easy to see why the Orange Tree Theatre has won the award for The Most Welcoming Theatre in the UK for the last three years. This small theatre-in-the-round is the perfect venue for this play. The intimate setting encourages its young audience to participate in the action, which by all accounts, they enthusiastically enjoyed doing.