A pantomime-themed Christmas at Sutton House
When: 26th November – 18th December 2016, 12pm – 5pm
Where: Sutton House and Breaker’s Yard, 2 & 4 Homerton High Street, Hackney, London E9 6JQ
£: Admission costs £5.50 for adults and £2.75 for children. Under 5s and National Trust members go free.
What is it?
Sutton House in Hackney will be holding a special seasonal event, featuring a spectacular pantomime-themed Christmas market. The pantomime market will run each weekend from noon to 5pm, from Saturday 26th November to Sunday 18th December.
The unique event has been created to tie in with Sutton House’s series of book-themed events, and will feature playful pantomime rooms and a surreal Santa’s sleigh.
The market will offer a vibrant alternative to the German style Christmas markets, with a handpicked selection of artisans, artists, fashion and jewellery designers, ceramicists, and card makers. Sutton House is aiming to attract a mix of boutique shoppers and families looking for a fun day out. The magnificent Tudor house will provide the perfect setting for the pantomime themed Christmas event, combined with the opportunity to find original and quality Christmas gifts.
Find some original Christmas gifts
Sutton House will be transformed into a winter wonderland, with each room representing a pantomime theme. The rooms will be dressed accordingly, and will include live action characters. Themes will include Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, Puss in Boots, Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Robin Hood, and the Wizard Of Oz.
Installation artist Kirsty Harris and Sutton House’s community groups will be enchanting the halls, chambers and cellars, with fragments of timeless pantomime and fairy stories relating to Sutton House’s 500 years of history, from a Tudor knight to 1980’s punk squatters. Fancifully costumed volunteers will help bring the stories to life and piece together the pantos for visitors. Cheering choirs and playful performances of Beauty and the Beast will entertain throughout.
The icing on the Christmas cake will be the opportunity for children to meet Santa in his very curious grotto, a double-decker caravan complete with historical palace interior. Discover what makes reindeer fly and receive a gift.
The event will be hosted by City Showcase, the not-for-profit organisation which supports and nurtures new creatives from all disciplines. They look to feature high quality, distinctive, talented and quirky designers, showcasing their products alongside top quality street food and live entertainment.
Built in 1535 by prominent courtier of Henry VIII, Sir Ralph Sadleir, the National Trust property, Sutton House retains much of the atmosphere of a Tudor home, despite some alterations by later occupants, including a succession of merchants, Huguenot silkweavers, and squatters. Discover oak-panelled rooms, original carved fireplaces and a charming courtyard.
More info: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard