Re Norwell Lapley Productions Announce DEAR SANTA Dates for Christmas 2020

With support from the Culture Recovery Fund (CRF), Norwell Lapley Productions is excited to announce that against all odds, they are expanding the production base of their festive hit, the stage production of Dear Santa. With three touring productions set to tour in 2020, Norwell Lapley is bringing some much-needed Christmas cheer to audiences at seven UK theatres during December. Now a perennial Christmas favourite Dear Santa is based on author Rod Campbell's best-selling book. First published in 2004 Dear Santa was a spin-off to the well-loved classic Dear Zoo. The stage show was written by Campbell and is directed by Tim Wallers.

Norwell Lapley Productions, first produced Dear Santa in 2017 and since then, the show's popularity with both audiences and venues enabled the company to double the number of touring productions in 2018 and 2019 and in 2020, Dear Santa will now see three companies touring concurrently. Norwell Lapley was also responsible for bringing Rod Campbell's Dear Zoo to the stage for the first time with successful productions in 2018 and 2019.

With shows running at The Albany in Coventry (9 - 10 December), The Key Peterborough (12 - 13 December), the Cast in Doncaster (14 - 19 December), Wolverhampton Grand (20 - 24 December) London's Riverside Studios (2 - 24 December) and The Minerva in Chichester (5 - 24 December), Dear Santa is an ideal introduction to theatre for those aged 2+ and who believe in Santa.

With a festive storyline that sees Santa trying to deliver the most fantastic Christmas present to Sarah, (he doesn't get it quite right straight away!, but with the help of his cheeky Elf, he finally settles on something 'perfect', just in time for Christmas Eve. Dear Santa, has been made additionally special by the producers as each child in the audience will receive a gift from Santa.

Discussing the production Norwell Lapley Managing Director Chris Davis said "We are thrilled to have found a way to be able to bring Dear Santa to audiences at this time and to increase our output of this fantastic show which is of course great for the industry. We are extremely appreciative of the support we have received from the CRF, administered by Arts Council England which has made this project viable. All venues will be operating social-distanced performances which does mean that the saleable capacities have been drastically reduced. We have been working closely with the theatres, who have spent a huge amount of effort making their venue Covid compliant and are looking forward to welcoming audiences back during the festive season.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased via the website: www.dearsantalive.com