Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas

Father Christmas at the Lyric Hammersmith 2026

Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas returns to the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from 18 November to 27 December 2026, playing in the theatre's Studio as part of its Little Lyric programme for young audiences. Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Pins and Needles present the show, which is based on the book by Raymond Briggs and adapted for the stage by Pins and Needles.

The Lyric describes it as a family favourite and says Christmas isn't Christmas without it. It is co-produced with the Olivier Award nominated Pins and Needles Productions, runs for 50 minutes and is aimed at children under 6, so it is made for the very youngest members of the family and the grown-ups who bring them.

The story and what to expect

It is Christmas Eve, the busiest day of the year. Father Christmas wakes from a dream of sun, sea and sand, then gets down to work: preparing for his deliveries, feeding and gathering the reindeer, readying his sleigh and finally taking flight into the snowy night to deliver presents to sleeping children all over the world.

Things do not run smoothly. There are soot covered chimneys to squeeze through and treacherous weather to battle, and his cheeky pets, Cat and Dog, get up to plenty of mischief along the way. The story is told with puppets designed by Max Humphries and original music by composer Lucy Rivers. Critics have been warm about it over the years: The Observer called it "magnificent" and The Upcoming "a timeless classic".

Cast and creative team

The 2026 cast is to be announced by the venue. Emma Earle directs, with design by Zoe Squire, music by Lucy Rivers, puppets by Max Humphries, lighting by George Ogilvie and dramaturgy by Adam Peck.

Pins and Needles is the company of designer Zoe Squire and director Emma Earle, who met at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2009. Father Christmas was their first Raymond Briggs adaptation and has become the company's most successful show to date.

Dates and times

Father Christmas opens on Wednesday 18 November 2026 and plays until Sunday 27 December 2026. Every performance is in the daytime, with start times between 9.30am and 5.30pm. The opening days, Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 November, have performances at 11.30am and 1pm. Weekdays have between two and six performances, and Saturdays and Sundays have between four and six. There are no performances on Monday 23 November, Monday 14 December or Christmas Day, and the final performance is at 4pm on Sunday 27 December.

Who is it for (age guidance and running time)

The Lyric's age guidance is under 6, and the running time is 50 minutes. Children under 18 months are admitted as babes in arms and do not need their own seat. Seating in the Studio is unreserved, and buggies cannot be taken into the Studio auditorium.

Older brothers and sisters may prefer the Lyric's main house pantomime, Cinderella, which runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 with age guidance of 6 and over.

Accessible and relaxed performances

The Lyric has scheduled four access performances. Relaxed performances are on Tuesday 24 November at 10.30am and Sunday 29 November at 9.30am. The BSL interpreted performance is on Monday 30 November at 11.30am, and the audio described performance is on Thursday 3 December at 9.45am.

A Lyric Hammersmith Christmas tradition

The Lyric Hammersmith commissioned Father Christmas in 2012, after inviting Pins and Needles to pitch for its early years Christmas show. The company developed the adaptation with puppetry sequences, a model box and demo tracks, and won Raymond Briggs' approval before making the show. It opened in the Lyric's Studio that Christmas and has played there every year since, and it has also toured to venues across the UK and to Hong Kong.

Getting to the Lyric Hammersmith

The theatre is in Lyric Square, Hammersmith, London W6 0QL. Hammersmith station, on the District, Piccadilly, Circle and Hammersmith and City lines, is usually about two minutes' walk away, and Hammersmith Broadway bus station is also around two minutes from the theatre.