A Christmas Cringle brought All Saints Elton Theatre Company together for a festive concert and revue on Thursday 8th December 2022, but it also marked something much bigger for the company. It was the first official performance by the newly formed All Saints Elton Theatre Youth, which had only opened its doors a few months earlier. Christmas entertainment, established company members and a brand-new generation of performers all shared the same event, making it a rather special way to finish 2022.
The Youth Theatre had begun with a summer workshop in August before regular sessions started that September. By December, its young performers were already stepping in front of an audience as part of A Christmas Cringle, written and directed by Chris Terry with Helen Shaw as musical director.
That first appearance would prove to be the start of something much larger. The youth section continued to grow, giving children and young people opportunities to develop their acting, singing, movement and performance skills while becoming part of the wider All Saints Elton theatre community.
A Christmas Cringle also earned recognition from NODA, receiving a nomination in the Best Concert/Revue category for the 2022 season.
For a company established in 1912, welcoming a new generation to the stage felt like a particularly suitable way of celebrating Christmas. More than a century after All Saints Elton first began performing, another group of performers was taking its first steps.
There are Christmas shows you remember because somebody wore an excellent jumper. There are Christmas shows you remember because somebody forgot where they had put the tinsel. This one deserves remembering because it helped begin an entirely new chapter in the history of All Saints Elton Theatre Company.