An Audience with Father Christmas!

English Heritage / Eltham Palace 2025

The Brief

We were delighted to be commissioned by English Heritage to create a brand new Audience with Father Christmas experience at Eltham Palace. The brief was to design a half-hour festive encounter for groups of 15–20 children and their families, combining storytelling, interaction and a gift for every child, while working in harmony with the operational needs of the site and its volunteer team.

What We Did

A key ambition for us was that the experience should feel rooted in Eltham Palace itself, rather than being a generic Christmas performance. With its rich blend of Tudor history and striking 1930s Art Deco interiors, the Palace offered a unique setting — particularly the Italian Drawing Room, where the performance would take place. We undertook a detailed site visit and worked closely with the Eltham Palace team and English Heritage’s central events staff to understand the space and visitor journey. Building relationships with the volunteer cohort and attending site briefings was a vital part of ensuring the experience felt smooth and welcoming for families.

From this, we created a bespoke scripted and interactive short play which featured a talented Father Christmas knitting mittens live during the performance and a rousing rendition of Jingle Bells! While the Elf character connected the story directly to Eltham Palace by describing their adventures playing in the Palace grounds.

The Result

The new Audience with Father Christmas experience at Eltham Palace was warmly received by families and staff alike. The blend of storytelling, site-specific detail and personal interaction created a calm, joyful festive encounter that felt genuinely connected to the Palace. Feedback highlighted the strength of the narrative, the quality of the performances and how well the experience complemented Eltham Palace’s historic setting.