The first two shows sold out within hours of going on sale this morning so an 11am performance has been added to the 23rd December at Newbury Racecourse.
Harriet Collins, Marcomms & Sponsorship Director for Newbury Racecourse says,
“Wow - We are absolutely amazed by the positive response we’ve had to Car Park Panto here on December 23rd with both shows selling out so quickly. As a result of the high demand, we are delighted to announce that we are putting on an additional late morning performance at 11am, so you can bring all the family along for a safe and fun experience from the comfort of your car and be back home in time for lunch!
CAR PARK PARTY lifted the country’s spirits this summer with the ONLY national tour of comedy, theatre and live music shows. After rave reviews from the public and press, they’re back this winter with CAR PARK PANTO, in partnership with the Birmingham Stage Company and Horrible Histories, to present three amazing performances of HORRIBLE CHRISTMAS at Newbury Racecourse on Wednesday 23rd December.
Just when you thought your Christmas show had been cancelled, Horrible Histories comes to the rescue with their own unique take on the festive season. HORRIBLE CHRISTMAS is the story of how Christmas came to be what it is today, enabling families across the UK to enter into the festive spirit in a safe, socially distanced manner, from the comfort of their own sleigh car!
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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? From Victorian villains to Medieval monks, Puritan parties to Tudor treats, join us on a hair-raising adventure through the history of Christmas in the company
of Charles Dickens, Oliver Cromwell, King Henry VIII and St Nicholas as they all join forces to save the festive season!
It’s a celebration of Christmas in the most wonderful, funny and moving way you’ll ever see!
*****
After a truly unique summer performing at various sell-out CAR PARK THEATRE events, it was evident to Horrible Histories Actor/Manager Neal Foster (Birmingham Stage Company) that the audience for live theatre is huge even during this current time; “We were thrilled to be invited to take part in the run of Car Park Party events around the country and were overwhelmed by the response of the audience, who were clearly delighted and relieved to see actors live on stage again. I was totally surprised by just how well Car Park Theatre worked and loved the whole collective experience.”
With normal everyday life still somewhat far away, the cost of the pandemic is continuing to be felt and whilst we still have Christmas to look forward to, it’s going to feel very different without the family trip to the theatre. Christmas is often the first time a child experiences live theatre and now with hundreds of shows, big and small, being cancelled throughout the land, families and children in particular are going to lose out on one the cornerstones of the festive period. Horrible Histories will hopefully go some way to providing the laughter and cheer with this perfect story for the times at Newbury Racecourse this December.
Neal Foster continued; “We can’t wait to be back on stage in cities and towns that will be crying out for a Christmas show to entertain their families. As you’d expect from Horrible Histories, it’s not a traditional pantomime, but a journey through the story of Christmas in the company of the season’s most fabulous characters. It’s the perfect story for families this winter, as one young boy battles to save Christmas for the world, in this hilarious, joyous and moving celebration.”
Harriet Collins, Marcomms & Sponsorship Director for Newbury Racecourse says, “Following the success of the Car Park Party live events this summer here at the racecourse, we are thrilled to welcome back Horrible Histories to host a Christmas panto, all socially distanced and from the safety and comfort of your own car. With Christmas not that far away and plenty of uncertainty around what we are able to do, this is a fantastic and safe experience for all the family to enjoy.”
The team behind Car Park Theatre are passionate about live theatrical entertainment and, in a world where this has been put on pause, they have created the ultimate safe, social distancing solution to bring the festive cheer back into people’s lives and communities back together.
There are limited tickets for each show priced at £45 per sleigh car (£2.50 booking fee applies). Grab the reigns and secure your space for the drive-in event of the season.
WEDNESDAY 23RD DECEMBER – NEWBURY RACECOURSE, NEWBURY RG14 7NZ
Performance times: 11am, 2pm & 5pm
Tickets & T&C’s are available at carparkparty.com.
MORE VENUES & DATES TBC
Friday 11th December - Chelmsford City Racecourse (4:30pm and 7pm)
Saturday 12th December – Imperial war Museum Duxford (2pm and 5pm)
Sunday 13th December - Newark Showground (2pm and 5pm)
Monday 14th December – Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton (4.30pm and 7pm)
Tuesday 15th December – Ricoh Arena, Coventry (4.30pm and 7pm)
Friday 18th December - Exeter Racecourse (4:30pm and 7pm)
Sunday 20th December - Cardiff Airport (2pm and 5pm)
Monday 21st December – Cheltenham Racecourse (2pm and 5pm)
Wednesday 23rd December - Newbury Racecourse (2pm and 5pm)
Monday 28th December – Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool (2pm and 5pm)