Things to do at Shakespeare's (snow) Globe this Christmas
Festive season is upon us, so we’re bringing you our best suggestions to get the family out and about this December 2022
As Christmas approaches, this year doesn’t have to be a winter of discontent. Whether you’re looking for a show that’s fun for all the family (why not see our festive production, The Fir Tree?), or trying to come up with some gift ideas (may we suggest Shakespeare socks as a stocking filler?), you’ll be sure to find something at the Globe this December.
Join us for our festive fairy tale, The Fir Tree
Our magical festive show, The Fir Tree, returns to our Globe Theatre this Christmas. A reimagined version of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale, this production guarantees fun for the whole family – just make sure to wrap up warm with woolly hats and mittens, as our production will be in our beautiful open-air Globe!
Hannah Khalil’s re-telling shows us how we can all help to take care of our planet. In preparation, why not help us populate the forest by building your very own eco-friendly sparrow puppet – all you need are materials you have lying around the house! You can also make a range of eco-friendly decorations to adorn your Christmas tree at home.
Alongside the show, we’ll be running craft and drama workshops for all the family – explore the story, themes and characters of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale through play and performance in our Family Drama Workshop and create your very own flying sparrow puppet from recycled materials in our Craft and Puppetry Workshop.
Make your own eco-friendly Christmas decorations with Sam Wilde!
Discover the Ghosts of Christmas Past on a Globe Guided Tour
How did Shakespeare celebrate Christmas? Put on your best/worst Christmas jumper and join us for a Festive Family Tour of our Globe Theatre this December, and hear about the Elizabethan traditions practised by people to welcome the winter season.
If you’re looking for a Christmassy ghost story, our special family-friendly spooky tour of the Globe Theatre, Ghosts & Ghouls, brings to life the ghosts, spirits and scary happenings of Shakespeare’s most chilling plays.
Or, if you’re wrapped up warm, why not step away from the Globe and learn more about the intriguing, entertaining and surprising history of our local area: including the criminal history of Bankside on Shakespeare’s True Crimes Tour and midnight reveling on our Twilight Walking Tour.
And finally, if you’re looking for something a little more traditional, our Globe Theatre Guided Tours are still running throughout the winter season. Discover the world of an Elizabethan theatre, find out how much you would’ve had to pay to see a show and, of course, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of our beautiful wintry wooden ‘O’.
Snuggle up for movie-night with Globe Player
In this frosty weather, what could be better than curling up on the sofa with a blanket and a cup of cocoa to watch a show from our streaming service, Globe Player?
Featuring 27 of our most loved productions, from 13 December we’ll be adding Shakespeare’s great and poetic love story, Antony and Cleopatra (2014) with Eve Best and Clive Wood as the fated lovers, as well as five international shows from our Globe to Globe Festival (2012).
Subscriptions for Globe Player are just £59.99 per year, or £9.99 for one show. We’ll be adding more to the platform very soon, so keep an eye out and watch this space. You can also treat a loved one to a Gift Subscription, the perfect Christmas present!
Feast on Christmas delights at Swan Restaurant
Immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit with the aroma of cinnamon and freshly baked mince pies in our Swan Restaurant.
Join our friends at Swan for their Festive Afternoon Tea, adorned with Rudolph macaroons and Christmas tree cupcakes, alongside savoury classics including Gressingham turkey and cranberry served in a brioche navette, while vegetarian and vegan alternative options are also available.
Served in the stunning Restaurant alongside the riverside, against a backdrop of the London skyline, this festive tea is available until the end of the year.
Or, if Afternoon Tea doesn’t take your fancy, why not venture to the Bar for some after-work festive drinks? From mulled wine to Chateau Biac, the Swan has a range of Christmas beverages to suit every tastebud.
Treat thyself to goodies in our Shop
If you have a loved one that is a self-confessed Shakespeare fanatic, you’re not going to get much better than our dedicated theatre Shop.
We’ve got decorations for the tree, eco-friendly tote bags, and books of Shakespearian insults for good measure. It’s the Shakespeare’s fan’s wildest dream. Come down and visit us in person from Thursday – Sunday, 10.00am–5.00pm, or order your goodies online. Treat thyself!
At Christmas I no more desire a rose, than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled mirth
— Loves Labour’s Lost, Act I scene 1
FINIS.
The Fir Tree plays from 15 December to 31 December 2022 in our Globe Theatre as part of our Winter 2022/23 season. See our What’s On page for more events at Shakespeare’s Globe.