Photo Flash: In Rehearsal for CRIMES AGAINST CHRISTMAS, Opening This Week at Lichfield Garrick

New Old Friends present Crimes Against Christmas, a cracking Christmas comedy crime caper inspired by Christie at The Lichfield Garrick, 9 - 31 December 2016, followed by a run at Theatre Royal Bath Ustinov, 3 - 7 January 2017. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal below!

Crimes Against Christmas is a comedy thriller for an adult audience. The plot is loosely based around Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None with an apparently random group of people mysteriously invited to a Christmas party on a remote island. Once on the island, the guests start to die in suspiciously Christmassy ways: Pipers whilst piping, Lords whilst leaping, Maids whilst milking - and guest of honour Peter Artridge doesn't like the look of the rope in the pear tree one bit.

An alternative Christmas show to conventional panto, it features a host of characters brought to life by just four actors, sweeping the audience along with a fast based narrative and enough hints (and red herrings) to have them wondering just who the villain is to the very end. Basically it's Agatha Christie meets 12 Days of Christmas meets 39 Steps.

Director Craig Sanders studied at Rose Bruford College and has established himself as a director who creates playful, imaginative and strikingly visual theatre. The show is designed by Carl Davies, with lighting by Liz Porrett and musical direction by Paul Dodgson. The cast features Heather Westwell, Feargus Woods Dunlop, Dan Winter and Jonathan Maclean.

The show is proudly 'Made in Lichfield' with all rehearsals taking place at the Garrick. The company are passionate about regional theatre and are delighted to have cast Midlands native Jonathan Maclean to join the team. The Lichfield Garrick Theatre is both a receiving and producing house and hosts a wide range of touring UK and International productions. In the last twelve months over 130,000 people have seen performances there. The Lichfield Garrick has produced an annual Christmas production every year since opening. Since 2015, under the artistic directorship of Tim Ford, the venue has started to develop a programme of new work, supporting emerging companies and artists and has developed new relationships with companies with a view to co-produce and tour productions in the future.

For more information, visit www.newoldfriends.co.uk, www.lichfieldgarrick.com or www.theatreroyal.org.uk.