10/06/2026
Some productions arrive fully formed. Others grow into something nobody quite expected, and are all the better for it.
Over the summer, as Holt Players worked on Winterfest, the ideas kept multiplying: a poem here, a forgotten diary there, a piece of music that seemed to belong between two scenes. It became clear that the best way to share them all was not as a single play but as an evening of its own. So Winterfest has evolved into a full-blown festive revue, Christmas Through the Ages.
The idea is simple. Over two halves, we will travel through more than six hundred years of Christmas, told through readings, short scenes, poetry and live music. Think of it less as a play and more as an evening among friends, glass in hand, while some of Holt's most familiar faces bring the season to life around you.
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป
The evening opens with Good King Wenceslas and his faithful page battling through the snow. From there we step back to the fifteenth century for the Shepherds' Play from the Wakefield Cycle. It is one of the earliest comedy scenes ever written, complete with a stolen sheep, a very suspicious "baby" and three shepherds who are not quite as foolish as they look.
The first half then follows Christmas into harder times. Accounts from the trenches of 1914 and a prisoner of war camp in 1941 sit alongside memories of home and village life, offering a quieter, more reflective moment. Then A.A. Milne's much-loved King John's Christmas lifts the mood again, before an interval you will not want to miss.
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ณ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด
After the interval, the tone turns firmly towards fun. Joyce Grenfell's unforgettable nativity rehearsal, the wonderfully wry poetry of Pam Ayres, and a rather fraught exchange of letters over The Twelve Days of Christmas are all in the programme. There will be live music too, including a performance of Walking in the Air. Father Christmas himself is expected to drop in for a reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas before the whole hall joins in for the finale.
There is a little audience participation as well. A Christmas music quiz brings the first half to a close, so put your heads together at your table, and you can find out how you did when the answers are revealed after the interval.
๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐-๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐
Following the success of our Murder Mystery evenings, the hall will be laid out cabaret style, with seating at tables of up to eight. Bring friends and make a night of it. The bar will be open, with nibbles on the tables. Please note that there will be no food served this time, so do eat beforehand.
Christmas Through the Ages is designed as an evening for grown-ups, so it is best suited to adults and older children. If you are looking for something for the whole family, our ever-popular Christmas Singalong returns a fortnight later, and we would love to see you at both.
๐ง๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐
Tickets are ยฃ12 and will be available from the village shop from Sunday 1 November. Friends of Holt Players will be contacted separately about reserving their seats before general sale. With only two performances and limited tables each night, we would encourage you to book early.
๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ
A production like this relies on many willing helpers behind the scenes as well as on stage. If you would enjoy helping with front of house, the bar or setting up the hall, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please get in touch through our website at www.holtplayers.com.
We cannot think of a better way to begin the festive season. Join us for a glass of something warming, a few laughs, a moment or two of reflection and a hearty chorus to finish. We look forward to welcoming you.
