Christmas show to be streamed into homes as theatre looks to bring festive cheer to families

A Christmas show seen from the comfort of home is being lined up by a theatre as it looks to make sure this festive time is still a merry one.
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Northern Stage and Kitchen Zoo are putting on a new adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic folktale, The Emperor’s New Clothes.

The shows, put on by the teams behind previous Christmas productions at the Newcastle theatre, including The Snow Queen, WOLF! and James and the Giant Peach, will create a new festive event for audiences to experience from Saturday, 12 until Friday, December 31.

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Christmas show The Emperor's New Clothes will be recorded and screened by Northern Stage.Christmas show The Emperor's New Clothes will be recorded and screened by Northern Stage.
Christmas show The Emperor's New Clothes will be recorded and screened by Northern Stage.
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It will be filmed by award-winning North East filmmakers Meerkat Films and performed by Bob Nicholson, Hannah Goudie-Hunter, Jeremy Bradfield and Simmie Kaur.

Director Mark Calvert said: “It's been an extraordinary year for all of us and to make something at the end of this extraordinary year is an absolute privilege.

"The team have been working hard over the last two months to create something that we hope will give our audiences some much needed Christmas cheer and end the year on some magic, and more importantly, some laughs.

“The Emperor's New Clothes has to be the biggest con ever pulled in the history of story-telling.

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"Two inept chancers - think Laurel and Hardy or the wet bandits from the classic Christmas film Home Alone - manage to convince an Emperor to go out in their 'all together', exposing them in more ways than one.

"We feel it's a story so packed full of ridiculous moments, that to call it farce would be too tame.

“We wanted to tell this story in front of a live audience, and up until the new lockdown was announced that was always the plan.

"But this added obstacle has also brought other possibilities, and we're really excited about producing the first digital theatre offer for Northern Stage.”

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Adapted by Laura Lindow, the show devised by Bob Nicholson and Hannah Goudie-Hunter and designed by Alison Ashton, with choreography by Martin Hylton and original music by Jeremy Bradfield.

Tickets are £15 per household and go on sale on Monday, November 16, with a 20% discount for bookings made by Monday, November 23.

Northern Stage supporters and members can book tickets for £10 from today.

Book online at www.northernstage.co.uk or call the box office on (0191) 230 5151.

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