The period between Christmas and New Year needn’t be spent slumped on the sofa. From panto in Cardiff to painting in Liverpool, here are a few ideas to put some spark into the holiday
He’s behind you … Oh no, he isn’t … Twixmas is all about the pantomime. Cinderella at New Theatre Cardiff promises to be a hoot, with former rugby star Gareth Thomas as the prince’s friend, Dandini; adult from £10.50, child from £8.50. At the Opera House Manchester, Priscilla Presley takes a turn as the Wicked Queen in Snow White – snap up limited tickets from £11.90. For £15, you can catch something a bit more highbrow: on 27 December, there’s a live screening of the Bolshoi Ballet performing the Nutcracker, beamed straight from Russia to the Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead. Or take part in a bewitching interactive fairy tale at a performance of Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales on the South Bank in London; adult £45, child £20. Five floors of the Bargehouse have been transformed into another world – you’re literally in the witch’s cottage with Hansel and Gretel. The Eden Project in Cornwall stays open with the new Enchanted Rainforest in the Biome, a bewitching mix of live performance, soundscapes and magical lighting effects created by theatre group Wildworks. Plus there’s storytelling, ice-skating, choirs and craft workshops, all for the bargain price of £23.50 for adults and £13.50 for children aged 5-16.
