When the festive season arrives at Potters, it comes with all the sparkle, magic and togetherness you’d expect from the UK’s only Fully Inclusive Breaks. And this year’s highly-anticipated Christmas show adds an extra layer of celebration.
As you’re reading this, you can almost picture the Potters Theatre Company putting the finishing touches on their latest new production. With the setlist, lighting, scenery and costumes all in place, final dress runs are a chance to put months of hard work together.
And this year, get set to enjoy a Christmas spectacular for the ages because, on all Fully Inclusive Festive Breaks from 10th November onwards, we ’re excited to bring you A Century of Christmas.
Appearing on stage in both The Atlas Theatre at Hopton-on-Sea and The Glade Theatre at Five Lakes, this glittering new show will become the centrepiece of your festive getaway, following straight on from a delicious and traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings—complete with paper hats, crackers and plenty of yuletide laughter around the table.
Creative Producer Roxy Yarnold explains: “We wanted to create a show that felt like the perfect way to kick off Christmas. It’s fun, nostalgic, and full of those songs everyone knows and loves. It’s a journey through the decades, and a celebration of how Christmas music has evolved—you’ll know every song, so it’s a chance to sing along, dance in your seats, and most importantly, really get in the festive spirit.”
A Show for the Ages
The setlist has been carefully crafted to whisk audiences on a musical sleigh ride through time—beginning with the elegant sounds of the 1930s and 40s, swinging through the rock and roll 50s, grooving into the Motown-infused 60s, dancing through the rocking 70s, and sparkling with cheesy 80s pop before nodding to the 90s and beyond.
“The idea was to celebrate the sheer variety of Christmas music,” Roxy explains. “Every decade has its own flavour, its own iconic songs, and Christmas No.1s. When you put them together in one show, you get this incredible journey that’s both familiar and fresh.”
A Festive Feast of Music
The show opens with the bright, traditional tones of Deck the Halls, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas and We Need a Little Christmas—immediately setting the tone for a warm, welcoming, and nostalgic celebration.
From there, guests are treated to beloved standards like Winter Wonderland, Let It Snow and The Christmas Song, delivered with the style and polish that you’ve come to expect from the Potters Theatre Company. “The start of the show feels really classic,” Roxy says. “These are the songs that put you straight into the Christmas mood.”
The 1950s bring a burst of rock ’n’ roll energy with Jingle Bell Rock, Rocking Around the Christmas Tree, and Elvis Presley’s Blue Christmas, while the Beach Boys’ Little Saint Nick brings a Californian twist.
Motown and soul sounds take over with Santa Claus is Coming to Town, This Christmas, Sleigh Ride, and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)—songs that bring joy, rhythm and a touch of nostalgia for tinsel-draped living rooms and childhood Christmases. Stevie Wonder’s Someday at Christmas adds a poignant note, reminding audiences that festive songs can carry heartfelt messages too.
Through the Ages
By the time the show hits the 70s and 80s, the energy is infectious. Elton John’s Step Into Christmas, Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, and Slade’s Merry Christmas Everyone are performed with all the fun, colour and sequins you’d expect from the era. Add in Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas, Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine and the powerful Do They Know It’s Christmas, and you’ve got a section that tugs at both the heartstrings and the funny bone.
You can expect plenty of laughs from this year’s Christmas production, as well as all the hits you loveThe 90s and 2000s are represented by modern classics such as Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You, Ed Sheeran & Elton John’s Merry Christmas, and Coldplay’s Christmas Lights. These songs bring the show right up to the present day, proving that today’s festive charts are still alive and evolving in style.
The finale, fittingly, steps away from popular hits and pays homage to timeless classics that have been sung for centuries—songs like Silent Night and O Holy Night, which still capture hearts year after year.
“We wanted to end on something that reminds people of the true magic of Christmas,” says Roxy. “These are songs that generations have sung together. Ending the show this way feels right—it’s a powerful, emotional, and really beautiful finale.”
A Milestone Moment for PTC
A Century of Christmas isn’t just a festive treat for audiences—it’s also a significant milestone for the Potters Theatre Company.
Over the past year, guests have marvelled at the troupe’s two new blockbuster productions—Totally 80s and The Cabaret Club—but after yet another jaw-dropping audition this summer, this new production will be a first for many new PTC cast members.
The Potters Theatre Company host West End auditions regularlyThat makes A Century of Christmas an extra-special occasion. “The new cast members have been so excited to get their teeth into this,” Roxy says. “The rehearsals have been outstanding. It’s a lot of work on top of learning Simply and The Cabaret Club for the festive season, but they’ve thrown themselves into it with so much energy.”
With stunning new sets and scenery ready to turn our stages into an immersive festive spectacle, coupled with this talented new crop of vocalists and dancers, dazzling costumes, rich harmonies and seamless choreography, it promises to be a true festive spectacular.
More Than Just a Show
Of course, at Potters, the magic of Christmas isn’t just what happens on stage. The experience begins as soon as you arrive with a packed programme of yuletide fun. But on arriving at our theatres for A Century of Christmas, we trust you’ll already be feeling festive after a traditional turkey dinner, complete with stuffing, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, and all the festive favourites. The anticipation for a great night ahead builds with every delicious bite.
And when the dust has settled on the theatre’s stage, there’ll be plenty of late night entertainment still to follow that will lift the atmosphere even higher, sending you back for a restful night’s sleep humming all your favourite tunes.
“That’s what the festive season at Potters is all about,” Roxy reflects. “It’s about creating memories together—whether that’s over dinner, on the dance floor, or in the theatre. It’s about bringing people together to share in the magic, laugh, sing, maybe shed a happy tear, and leave feeling part of something special.”
The Perfect Start to the Season
Whether you’re joining us at Hopton-on-Sea or Five Lakes, prepare for a festive evening like no other. With hats on heads, crackers snapped, and turkey tucked away, you’ll be swept into a century-long journey of Christmas music—ending in the timeless melodies that remind us all why this season is so cherished.
As Roxy puts it: “It’s the perfect night to get in the spirit of things. Whether you grew up with Bing Crosby, danced through the 70s, or love Mariah Carey, there’s something in this show that will bring back memories and make new ones too.”
Fully Inclusive Festive Breaks at Hopton-on-Sea and Five Lakes commence from Monday 10th November 2025, through to Friday 2nd January 2026. Get your plans in place for a festive getaway to remember, right here.
You can also discover everything else that’s happening at Potters Resorts this festive season, by tapping the below:
The stage is set for Step Into Christmas at Potters Resorts
