Beloved community venue offers something a little different this Christmas For Newcastle families that want a bit more from their festive experience in 2024
The festive season is less than 100 days away, and tickets for Gosforth Civic Theatre’s Yuletide show, The Velveteen Rabbit, and its Storytime with Santa events are already attracting families like the Boxing Day sales!
The charity-run venue has produced a festive programme with quality and affordability in mind, so that families can stay local to take in a stunning family show, visit Santa, and see a Christmas favourite on the big screen – all for a total cost of just £29 per child and £19 per adult.
The season’s centrepiece is Ballet Lorent’s beautiful adaptation of Margery William’s classic tale, The Velveteen Rabbit. Six dancers will perform this magical piece of theatre to an original score and narration by Game of Thrones star Ben Crompton, adorned in costumes that will spark the imagination. Toys come to life through the magic of storytelling, music and movement, creating a mesmerising show for the whole family that captures the essence of growing up, and the real meaning of love.

For the first time, Gosforth Civic Theatre (GCT) will also be hosting its first ever Santa experience, offering an alternative family tradition in the heart of Gosforth.
With only 20 children per session, the theatre, based at Regent Centre, is aiming to make its interactive Storytime with Santa a true Christmas gift, and is urging families to get their tickets booked.
Each weekend throughout December, GCT’s Studio, which is a new addition to the building following a £2.4m renovation last year, will be transformed into a North Pole workshop where St Nick himself will greet starry-eyed kids and their grown-ups to share in a wonderland tale.
Every child in attendance will receive a gift to take away, and will get the chance to talk to Father Christmas about what the season means to them and their families.

The inclusive programme includes specific sessions for young people with complex needs, as well as for local schools, in keeping with the aims of the group behind the social enterprise, Liberdade, to provide training and performing opportunities, as well as a sense of civic belonging to young people and those with learning disabilities.
The opportunity is just part of the theatre’s Christmas event schedule, which also features film screenings including Arthur Christmas, Elf, and the ever-popular Home Alone.
But Christmas isn’t just for the kids, and among the unmissable entertainment options on offer are a festive party with the Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir, the annual fixture that is Christmas at GCT with Strictly Smokin’ Big Band, and a collaboration from five of the folk scene’s most inventive artists, that will celebrate the riches of our varied winter traditions, and provide a sense of joy, hope and resilience to see us through the dark nights of mid-winter.

Awake Arise: A Christmas Show for Our Times features award-winning trio Lady Maisery, who produce what The Guardian called some of the “most exquisite, thrilling vocal harmony work in the English folk scene”, alongside the beguiling musical partnership of Jimmy Alridge and Sid Goldsmith. The performance on December 12th will combine outstanding vocals, traditional songs, spoken word and newly-written music with sensitive instrumentation and a social conscience to remind us all who we are and why we matter to one another.
GCT’s Community Engagement Manager Helen Kumar said: “We’re really excited about our 2024 Christmas programme, which features favourite festive fixtures for folk of all ages alongside original work for kids and grown-ups alike.
“We wanted to provide a richness and a variety of memorable experiences for people to choose from, so they look back on Christmas 2024 at GCT as one of their best ever!”
Grab your tickets for all the events mentioned, along with further details about what’s on at GCT between now and the end of the year at gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk/whats-on.