2020 has been a bleak year, and we’re all desperately in need of some Christmas cheer! With less than a month to go until the big day, there’s not long to finish buying all of your presents. Whether you’re searching for a gift for a theatre-lover, or looking for inspiration for your own wish list, there’s bound to be something in this theatre Christmas gift guide that you like.
Clothing and Accessories
The Alliance Of Theatrical Seamsters- or ALOFTS for short- have commissioned theatre and entertainment costume makers who have previously worked on productions such as Mamma Mia, Hairspray and The Mousetrap to make items. They launched a new range of tote bags and small zip bags in September, and a Christmas range earlier this month. My personal favourite is this Oscar Wilde tote bag, which costs £17.50.
This cute little enamel pin badge will look great on any musical lover’s coat or bag. Sold by UK small business TheStageyCouple, the pin costs £6 and can be purchased on Etsy.
If your recipient prefers jewellery, this statement necklace from small business ‘The Best of Me Designs’ may do the trick. Featuring the phantom’s half mask and a red rose, it will be perfect for fans of The Phantom of the Opera. It costs £20 and is available from Not On The High Street.
The Theatre Support Fund are selling merchandise to raise money for charities during the Coronavirus pandemic. They have lots of offerings such as t-shirts, jumpers and water bottles, so you’re sure to find that suits your fancy!
Homeware
Hopefully in 2021, we’ll be back to some sort of normality and our social lives will be full to compensate for the cancelled events this year! This Hamilton Calendar– available from Calendar Club for £10.99- will help you to make sure that you never miss a night out again.
Every theatre lover needs a place to put their ticket stubs, and this personalised ticket collection box from Perfect Personalised Gifts is the ideal way to store them. Available from Not On The High Street for £29.99, the box can be personalised with the recipient’s name and a date of your choice.
This word cloud print from GiftedTurtlesUK would make a really thoughtful gift. It comes in a variety of colours and can be personalised with as many words as you like. Prices start at £8.99 and they can be purchased from Etsy.
Entertainment
This theatre pack of Cards Against Humanity will make the perfect addition to the classic card game. It comes with 30 new cards and is reportedly Lin-Manuel Miranda’s favourite pack. It costs £5 and is available from the Cards Against Humanity website.
Sugar Butter Flour: The Waitress Cookbook is a great gift for those who love both baking and theatre. Containing 36 recipes such as ‘Lulu’s Lemonade Pies’ and ‘Mermaid Marshmallow Pie’, the book costs £14.99 and is available from Amazon.
Books
Wicked’s Grimmerie is a must have for Wicked fans. Packed with photos and stories from behind the scenes of the award winning show, the book is available from the Wicked merchandise website for £35.
Alternatively, if your friend is more of a Hamilton fanatic, Hamilton: The Revolution may be more up their alley. Named as Goodreads’ best non-fiction book in 2016, it contains over 200 of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s footnotes, photographs from Frank Ockenfels and veteran Broadway photographer, Joan Marcus and interviews with industry professionals such as Stephen Sondheim. It retails for £35 and can be purchased from Amazon.
The Dark Theatres Project has created a photo essay full of images of theatres during lockdown. These have been published in a limited edition hardback book alongside stories from people who were working in theatres when they closed. Entitled Standing By, it can be bought via the National Theatre’s website for £35.
Gift Cards
If you’re still struggling to find the perfect gift, why not treat the recipient to ATG’s TheatreCard classic membership? Available from ATG’s website, the memberships cost £45 for a year and come with a host of benefits such as discounts, priority seat selection when booking, and 25% off drinks before the show.
If this is out of your budget, ATG also offer gift vouchers that are valid until December 2021. They can be used at any of ATG’s 33 venues across the UK and are redeemable against any show excluding Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Ticketmaster also sells gift cards that can be redeemed against all events sold via their website or phone line.
Words by Ellen Leslie.
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