Press Contact: Megan Stone
19 November 2024
This winter, Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP) is thrilled to bring back the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Pins and Needles production of Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas, which will return to The Drum from 28 November – 28 December.
The cast and company from 2023 will reprise their roles, including Nathan Masterson as Father Christmas, plus an addition to the directing team. This magical and award-winning production, originally directed by Emma Earle, is based on the beloved picture book by Raymond Briggs, and last year played to sold out audiences of young people and their grown-ups.
Featuring live music, adorable puppets, reindeers and of course, Father Christmas himself, this gloriously festive production is one to add to your family festive traditions, whether you have seen it before or not!
“Utterly enchanting, Father Christmas captures author Raymond Briggs’ much treasured original story perfectly whilst introducing witty references to make it relatable for today’s children.” – Pink Prince Theatre
Join Santa as he awakes from a dream of sun, sea and sand only to find it is the busiest day of the year: Christmas Eve.
Watch as he prepares for his Christmas deliveries, feeds his reindeer and finally takes flight into the snowy night.
“Slick, hilarious and wholesome – I’d highly recommend it for anyone looking to find a bit of festive magic.” – Plymouth Live
Liz King, Executive Director, Producing and Programming at TRP said: “It’s such a joy to be bringing this magical, family show back to The Drum this Christmas, and even more so because we will be welcoming last years’ fantastic cast and team back for another year.
“The incredible set, which plays such a pivotal part of the show, will also be returning along with the beautiful puppetry and inventive live music. Audiences are in for a very festive treat!”
Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas is now on sale, and tickets can be purchased from the TRP website – https://theatreroyal.com/whats-on/father-christmas/#book
Cast and company includes:
Nathan Masterson
“When I was asked if I’d like to return it took less than a second to say yes! Last year was one of the most magical times of my career, and the show holds a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to get started again, and for audiences old and new to see this beautiful piece of theatre!
“It’s the perfect thing to see over the festive season. Lots of magic and music, a blooming marvellous show!”
Nathan’s other credits include: Smee in Peter Pan (Astor Theatre, Deal), Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice and Slender in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Cambridge Shakespeare Festival), Touchstone in As You Like It (Chapterhouse Theatre Company), Absolon in The Canterbury Tales (Distraction Theatre Company), and Father Christmas for The Polar Express, Okehampton.
Stacey Ghent
Stacey (she/her) is a hard of hearing actress, born and raised in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. Since living and working as an actress, musician and vocalist in London, she has trained with ‘The Actors Class’ and ‘AMTA of London’.
Credits include:
Television/Screen: Music Hall Dancer: A Thousand Blows (Disney+); Teacher of the Deaf: Coronation Street (ITV); Nurse Morris: Breathless (ITV); Stages of a Girls’ Night In… (BuzzFeed/McVities).
Theatre: Miranda: Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (Octagon Bolton/Theatre by the Lake, Keswick/Stephen Joseph, Scarborough); Swimmer: When The Long Trick’s Over (Morgan Lloyd-Malcom/High Tide); Multi-role: Queen Victoria: Sophia (Beverley Andrews/Arcola Theatre); Bette/Miles Hendon/Music Captain: The Prince and the Pauper (Watermill Theatre); Patricia Fodor/Dance Captain: Crazy For You (UK No1 Tour); Alice/Dance Captain: Sweet Charity (Watermill Theatre); Mrs Simpson: Tommy (UK Tour); A Great Night Out (Wild Works).
Stacey is so excited to be working with Father Christmas again, and back here with you all in Plymouth!
Amber-Rose Perry
“I’m thrilled to be returning to the cast of Father Christmas at Theatre Royal Plymouth this year and am excited to bring the puppets of a childhood Christmas story I loved to life for a new generation!”
Amber-Rose is an Actor and Puppeteer for TV, film and theatre, she trained at East 15 Acting School on the BA Physical Theatre Course and at The Curious School of Puppetry. Alongside her performance work she is also the Co-Artistic Director of Moth Theatre.
Amber-Rose’s performance credits include: Lead Puppeteer in Series 1, 2 and 3 of His Dark Materials (BBC/HBO); Puppeteer in The Hatchling (Trigger Stuff/Mervyn Millar); Lead Borb Puppeteer/Stevil in The Last Bus (NETFLIX); Puppetry Captain/Lead
Puppeteer in The Third Day (Sky Atlantic/HBO); Puppeteer in The Very Hungry Caterpillar (MEI Theatrical); Puppeteer in When Seagulls Saved the World (Brave Biscuit Studios); Puppetry Captain/Puppeteer in BATARI (Bath Carnival/Hannah Southfield) and Puppeteer in Dragons and Mythical Beasts (Nicoll Entertainment/Derek Bond & Laura Cubitt). Most recently, Amber has been Puppeteering on the Dinosaur World Live Tour 2024 (Nicoll Entertainment/ Derek Bond & Laura Cubitt).
Emma Earle, Director
“We’re delighted that Father Christmas is returning to Theatre Royal Plymouth this Christmas. We had a blooming marvellous time last year bringing our version of Raymond Briggs’ book to The Drum and can’t wait to share the show with more families this year.”
Theatre credits includes: Alice in Wonderland (Mercury Theatre); Father Christmas (Lyric Hammersmith); Adventures in Wonderland (The Vaults and Shanghai); The Bear (Midlands Arts Centre); OZ (Tobacco Factory Theatres); Oi Frog & Friends! (Lyric, West End); Select A Quest (online); Mr Popper’s Penguins (Criterion, West End and New Victory New York); Flies (Pleasance, Edinburgh); The Scarlet Pimpernel (Theatre Royal Bath); Dinner at the Twits (The Vaults); Little Mermaid (the egg); The Fantastical Flying Exploratory Laboratory (GDIF); Scoop (Latitude); The Marvellous Imaginary Menagerie (Latitude); Holly and Ivan’s Christmas Adventure (Lyric Hammersmith); Ernest and the Pale Moon (Pleasance Edinburgh); Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School); Gizmo Love (Tobacco Factory); Elves
and the Shoemakers (Tobacco Factory); The Shape of Things (Ustinov Studio); Yer Tis (the egg); Glengarry Glen Ross (Ustinov Studio); The Grapes of Wrath (the egg); Pavement (Alma Theatre); Riot (the egg); A Clockwork Orange (Alma Theatre)
Stephanie Kempson, Associate Director
“It’s an honour to join the ever-growing family on Father Christmas, which has been bringing joy to families for sixteen Christmases, especially in bringing it back to one of my favourite theatres for the second year running. I can’t wait to spend rehearsals exploring the joyous characters of Raymond Briggs’ book, and the gorgeous puppets and fabulous music. The people of Plymouth are in for a treat! Stephanie is a director, writer and dramaturg. She directed Laura’s Horton’s production Breathless (Fringe First Award 2022, New York Times’ Critic’s Pick), and runs her own
theatre company, Sharp Teeth Theatre. For Sharp Teeth Theatre she has directed Polly (The Heartbreak Opera), Parlour Games, and online shows Streaming Beauty and Sherlock In Homes 1-3. She has directed work for Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres, the Egg Theatre, Theatre Royal Bath, The Wardrobe Theatre, Compass Presents, the SS Great Britain, Bristol Museums, Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust, Arts
University Bournemouth and many more. She was the dramaturg on Offie-nominated Boxville from Cardboard Adventures (3-8yrs, currently touring), and her production of Minny Stynker by Soap Soup Theatre (3-8yrs) is currently touring.