A Christmas musical for all the family is making its debut at The Petersfield School Studio next month.
In Operation Santa, news breaks that Father Christmas is unable to work because of a stress-related illness and 12-year-old Emily Watson suspects a cover-up.
Together with ten-year-old Henry Fowler, she forms a protest group called ELF and forges an unlikely partnership with Charlie Hackett, a junior television researcher desperate to make it into the big time.
Their search for truth and justice leads them into a very grown-up world of political corruption, fake news and possibly even to the big man himself.
This new full-scale musical contains music and lyrics by local musician and award-winning musical director Daf Hughes. He was recently seen at The Petersfield School Studio launching the tour of his Elton John show Rocketmania, and he co-wrote the Operation Santa book with television comedy writer Will Ing, whose credits include Zapped, Would I Lie To You? and 8 Out of 10 Cats.
Operation Santa is directed by John-Paul McCrohon, a stalwart of the local theatre scene and a recent winner of The News Special Achievement Award for services to local theatre, with choreography by Charlotte Turnbull. Both of them also appear in the musical.
While being very much a festive story about righting a Christmas wrong, it also deals with political corruption, media manipulation and fake news, and is a show that will be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages in the build-up to Christmas.
The second original theatrical work produced by the innovative The Petersfield School Studio in Petersfield, following the sold-out run of Tinsel in 2019, this sparkling show comprises 13 original songs and an original story performed by an ensemble cast of 16 adults.
It features a large number of local award winners, including Kerry McCrohon, The Petersfield School Studio manager Sean Ridley and, in the title role, Tony Dart.
The cast also includes ten talented local children, who are headed by Maisy Wallace as Emily and, playing the son of his real-life parents John-Paul and Kerry, Christopher McCrohon as Henry.
The production will also be designed and crewed by past and present The Petersfield School students, ensuring the production spans the whole of The Petersfield School’s community.
Operation Santa runs from December 15 to 18, with shows at 7.30pm each day plus a 2.30pm Saturday matinee.
Tickets cost £12 each (£10 concessions). Family tickets for four people cost £40. Book at www.thestudiotps.com or visit One Tree Books in Lavant Street, Petersfield.