The Old Market (TOM) is serving up something a bit wilder than your standard Christmas knees-up this December. Say hello to The Gift, TOM’s brand-new in-house production and the closest you’ll get to a Berlin-meets-Burning-Man party without leaving Hove.
Landing somewhere between a gig, a piece of theatre, a communal feast and the kind of epic house party you can’t forget, The Gift is co-created and hosted by Mella Faye, the award-winning mind behind Pecho Mama theatre company.
Faye is bringing a crew of motley mavericks to take over the building each night: think clowning, cabaret, music, mischievous game-playing and plenty of moments where you’ll be pulled in (gently) to join the fun. Every show is different, unrehearsed and powered by the crowd, so no two nights will look the same. Exactly the kind of festive fun we can get behind.
“These bold, maverick artists…are going to lead us all on a choose-your-own-adventure of a night, where the whole room will co-conspire to create an evening of games, rituals and unexpected gift giving,” said Faye.
Expect creative mayhem and enough heart-warming nonsense to thaw even the toughest Grinch. You’ll leave with a full stomach too as tickets include a winter sharing feast from local suppliers (Malo, Pie O My, and Cloud 9 Bakery), served up at cabaret-style tables as the action swirls around you.
So if the usual tinsel-and-turkey route fills you with dread, this is your radical alternative. A joyful, anarchic, 18+ festive free-for-all where inhibitions stay at the door and you walk out with 100 new best mates.
Wednesday 3rd – Sunday 21st December (no shows Mondays or Tuesdays); £47.50
theoldmarket.com
