Top 5: Christmas family shows in Manchester

The festive season is a great excuse to get out with all the kids and enjoy a proper panto – or something a bit different. We’ve rounded up a few of our favourites.

1. Father Christmas at Waterside
Watch Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas get ready to make his deliveries and take flight into the night sky. Things don’t go according to plan and he gets caught up in bad weather and sooty chimneys. His pets Cat and Dog do their best to complicate matters. A charming show aimed at 3 to 11 year olds you’ll be laughing alongside your children and willing Father Christmas to make it through. Special shows include slumber evenings, British Sign Language performances and a special relaxed session. Don’t forget to buy milk and cookie packs (£2) to make the experience complete.
Tue 4 – Mon 31 Dec, Waterside Arts Centre, 1 Waterside Plaza, Sale, Trafford, M33 7ZF, Tel: 0161 912 5616. £10 – £16.50  www.watersidearts.org

2. The Forest of Forgotten Discos at Hope Mill Theatre
Contact Theatre Company and Jackie Hagan are putting on a show about mysterious discos in the forest. Bears, including Bear Grills and Bear Minimum enjoy the parties in secret until Red stumbles across them and changes lives forever. Fun for everyone this show is aimed at the over fives. It is suitable for deaf and hard of hearing children through the use of creative signing and visual stories.
Tue 11 – Sun 23 Dec, Hope Mill Theatre, 113 Pollard St, Manchester M4 7JA, Tel: 0161 274 0600. £13/7 www.contactmcr.com

3. White at HOME
The magical world of White is full of birdsong and birdhouses. Two friends look after the birds, keeping their eggs safe until, one day colour begins to appear high up in the trees. First red, then yellow, and blue… A highly visual show aimed at 2 to 4 year olds there are special interpreted and relaxed performances.
Thu 13 – Sun 23 Dec, HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN, Tel: 0161 200 1500. £7/9, www.homemcr.org

4. Släpstick at HOME
One for everyone this show takes inspiration from comedic greats Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and the Marx Brothers. Brought to HOME from the Netherlands the show is a mixture of live music (performed by five talented musicians playing over 100 instruments between them) and fast paced physical comedy. The children will love their slapstick performance and so will you.
Thu 13 – Sat 22 Dec, HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN, Tel: 0161 200 1500. £10-£24, www.homemcr.org

5. The Hallé play The Snowman at Bridgewater Hall
Family favourite The Snowman is being shown at Bridgewater Hall for one evening only. The Hallé orchestra will play along to the film, enhancing longtime classics such as ‘Walking in the Air’ and making for an unforgettable experience. For younger audience members, who may be less impressed by such a classic story and ensemble, the other half of the evening features a musical romp through Steve Pickett’s Dinosaurumpus.
Sat 15 & Sun 16 Dec, The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS, Tel: 0161 907 9000, £26.50/£17.50 www.halle.co.uk