Hey! Christmas Tree

Enchanting, funny and heart-warming, this festive story about the importance of finding friendship and somewhere to call home, was created especially for Chichester Festival Theatre by Michael Morpurgo.

Tree is rescued from the forest on Christmas Eve by Mavis, the motorbiking park ranger, who lives with her cheeky cat Winston and 9-year-old Yulia, who doesn’t want to talk and is a long way from home.

Tree has never had Christmas before and isn’t sure about all the decorations he has to wear. But he meets Father Christmas and the Snow Woman, and with Yulia to care for him, he starts to dance. The seasons come and go, Tree grows taller, and soon Christmas comes around once again. And alongside the gifts in their stockings is the best present of all.

Inspired by Michael Morpurgo’s book of poems My Heart Was a Tree, and written for the stage by Vicki Berwick, with music and lyrics by Eamonn O'Dwyer, it’s a perfect first festive theatre trip for 3 to 7 year olds.

Dale Rooks, whose Chichester productions include The Butterfly Lion, Running Wild and The Wind in the Willows, directs.