Horrible Christmas is the perfect festive treat for all the family…and it’s bound to be back next Christmas! Please select the relevant preferences on the access registration page during your booking so we can provide you with the correct information and discounts. The reason why carol singers knock on your door and pester you when you’re trying to watch your favourite TV show is that hundreds of years ago they were thrown out of the churches!

Horrible Christmas – Horrible Histories – Barbican Centre Horrible Christmas – Horrible Histories – Barbican Centre

It’s a great family show because it generates so much conversation afterwards as everyone leaves discussing their favourites stories and new facts. She's passionate about photography and an enthusiastic foodie and fervent traveller, keen to explore as much of the world as possible. It is simply set with four giant Christmas trees dressed in sparkle and a backdrop of twinkling lights.

The priests claimed they were doing the work of the devil so threw the carollers out and ever since they have gone round singing outside houses instead. There was even an old English custom of beating children on that day to remind them of Herod’s cruelty in massacring all the babies in Bethlehem. The show is also one of many family productions taking part in this year’s Get Into London Theatre promotion.

Horrible Histories’ horrible Xmas facts Horrible Histories’ horrible Xmas facts

However, the book opens a whole new chapter, one in which Christmas comes under threat from a not-so-jolly man dressed in red – Sydney Claus (Benedict Martin) and Buster (Jake Lomas) his reindeer henchman, who are determined to get the festive holiday cancelled forever. SOLT also runs the Olivier Awards, West End LIVE, TKTS, Theatre Tokens, Kids Week and the The Official London Theatre Sale. It combines a host of stories about London and the country that even adults don’t know, so they are entertained along with their children. Inspired by Tommy Cooper, when he used hats and props to create multiple characters, Terry Deary and I wrote four new scenes and Barmy Britain was born! This annoyed his mother and brother who met him at a church door and chopped Wenceslas to pieces – he didn’t do a lot of gathering winter fuel after that!The secret of the show is that we aim to entertain first and to teach the history under the radar, so the audience doesn’t realise how much they’ve learnt until the end. Assistance dogs may be taken into the concert hall where there are a limited number of suitable seats in row G of the stalls. If not, we also recommend the ongoing ‘wicked river tour’ from Horrible Histories – Terrible Thames. From cards to crackers, carols to fruit pies - how many of the Christmas traditions that we know today were made popular during the Victorian era? When Christmas comes under threat from a jolly man dressed in red, it’s up to one young boy to save the day – but can he save Christmas?

BBC iPlayer - Horrible Histories BBC iPlayer - Horrible Histories

We had no idea it was going to evoke such a fantastic response and it became the longest running children’s show in West End history! From Victorian villains to Medieval monks, Puritan parties to Tudor treats, join us on a hair-raising journey through the history of Christmas in the company of Charles Dickens, Oliver Cromwell, King Henry VIII and St Nicholas, as they come together to save the festive season. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘ Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance. A Christmas theatre trip played a huge part in my own childhood and is a family tradition that I have continued to keep with my children, usually in the form of pantomime.All his lords watching inside Westminster Abbey gave a huge cheer when the crown was put on William’s head but unfortunately the guards outside thought there was a rebellion going on and started burning down all the houses in the area giving the population of London a real roasting Christmas! Regardless of this, my young companions loved the madcap antics performed by an energetic cast who deliver silly jokes and catchy tunes, with lots of audience participation and some interesting historical facts about Christmas. Do you know the unluckiest day of the festive period or who sent the most Christmas cards in British history? This poll uses a cookie which we have classified as ‘strictly necessary’ for the duration of your online session.

Horrible Histories Christmas Quiz - CBBC - BBC Horrible Histories Christmas Quiz - CBBC - BBC

From the Romans to Dickens, Henry VIII to Cromwell, origins of the festive season are long and stretch throughout history.Booking a wheelchair space: Select a seat displaying the wheelchair user icon and then select wheelchair user ticket type. This show ticks all the festive entertainment boxes with a refreshing combination of historical facts about Christmas along with classic pantomime fun.