Autumn is hard. The days are shorter, the weather is wilder, and if you have a child who is still dragging their heels all the way to the school gate while they’re stuck in the middle of the bliss of the summer holidays and the magic of the Christmas break, it can make those chilly mornings even more difficult. But Brighton certainly isn’t the worst place to be in a back to work, back to school slump, and it’s even better now that life is starting to look a bit more sparkly for the festive season!

Always busy and always fun, Brighton has a great autumn line-up of theatre and events for families to help put the spring back in everyone’s step now summer is well and truly over and Christmas still seems far away...

The Brighton Dome

Christmas Open Day

30th November, 11 am-4 pm

Go back in time and enjoy A Very Victorian Christmas with the Dome. Kids have the opportunity to get ready for Christmas themselves by making Christmas decorations and other festive treats, all to the tune of Christmas carols. What could be more festive for a bit of family fun?

Super Sunday

17th - 27th December

Stunts and dark humour abound, Super Sunday is the dizzying display of theatricality by world-renowned Finnish circus troupe Race Horse Company. Featuring six acrobats, the show includes chaos and amazement created with trampolines, human catapults, and a wheel of death.

And, if you leave feeling inspired by the madness, Race Horse are also holding a circus skills workshop on the 23rd of December.

Komedia

The Noise Next Door - At Sea!

1st December, 3 pm

The UK’s best comedy improv group hit the Komedia for one show only - so take to the high seas! Take control of the show itself and tell the cast how they should Chase down the evil Captain Bloodbeard, and watch as your ideas take shape on stage in the form of hilarious scenes and songs featuring mermaids, magic, anarchy, and swords.

Comedy Club 4 Kids

7th December, 1.30 pm.

With Thom Tuck, Helen Duff, and more, Comedy Club 4 Kids is the perfect way for kids to enjoy the fun of a comedy gig with jokes tailored just for them. What could be better than being treated to some of the best stand-up comedians and sketch acts right in the centre of North Laine? Certainly not going to school...

Theatre Royal Brighton

Skip’s Friday Makes Club: Flying Circus

29th November, 4 pm

The Theatre Royal Brighton is a wonderfully historic theatre with a rich and exciting history. Artist Abi Horn will be leading a make and play session while exploring the Theatre Royal, with a range of materials, themes, and crafting techniques to take your children’s imaginations right to the heart of the circus - with juggling balls and elephants on wires!

Peter Pan Goes Wrong

19th to 24th November, 2,30 pm, 7.45 pm

From the chaotic company that brought The Play That Goes Wrong and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, Mischief Theatre are making a shambolic trip to Neverland. The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society fight with technical difficulties, getting in knots while (trying) to fly to Neverland, and arguing actors in the aptly named Peter Pan Goes Wrong.

Written by Lois Zoppi