Cocoa by day, cocktails by night at Newgate Social’s festive sing-alongs
Two crowd-powered Christmas events promise joyful chaos, big tunes and everyone becoming the choir
Newcastle’s festive season is getting an energetic remix this year as The Newgate Social transforms December 22 into a full day of communal singing, silliness and Christmas cheer.
The venue will host two back-to-back events created by theatre-maker and Newcastle Fringe Festival director Ali Pritchard: a family-friendly Carols & Cocoa in the afternoon, followed by the adults-only Carols & Cocktails in the evening.
Far from a traditional carol concert, both shows promise a mash-up of bandioke, live music and ‘sing-along spectacular’.
Ali, who stepped aside from being Alphabetti Theatre’s founding artistic director last year, began developing the events after a successful partnership with Newgate Social through Newcastle Fringe.
“We were all dead happy with how that partnership went, so when Newgate came knocking at my door afterwards, I doffed my Fringe hat and rummaged through the grey matter for something festive.
“I threw a number of ideas at them, but the one that stuck was part bandioke, part gig, part carol concert - and Newgate Social felt like the perfect home for it. So I said, ‘How about we turn Christmas into a sing-along spectacular?’ and here we are.”
Across both sessions, audiences will be backed by a three-strong team of performers: pianist Jenni Winter, trumpeter Abigail Brierley and comedian-videographer Jamie Howzat, who will fill Newgate Social’s screens with karaoke lyrics, animations and visual gags.
“Together, they’re the perfect mix of talent, community spirit, and mischief — exactly what you need to turn a carol concert into a gig-style sing-along,” said Ali, who hopes the atmosphere will be one of “joy, chaos, and a lot of collective heartbeats thumping in time”.
“Supposedly when we sing together, our hearts sync up - so imagine 400 Geordies belting out Partridge in a Pear Tree with their pulses literally in harmony.”
The two-event format was always part of his plan. “I always wanted both, I’ve got a six-year-old who is always keen to collaborate with me (they designed one of the posters - i’ll let you work out which one!),” he said.
“Newgate needed a little persuading, as this is one of their first family-friendly events, but it’s proving to sell really well. Everyone’s just big kids at heart, so why not give them cocoa in the afternoon and cocktails in the evening?”
Carols & Cocoa will offer hot chocolate, marshmallows and a chance for families to belt out festive favourites together, while Carols & Cocktails gives adults the same high-spirited format with a boozy twist. Tickets start at £4.50 and £12.50 respectively, with each including a free drink and prices rising closer to the date .
For Ali, the events reflect the community-centred approach he has carried through his career.
“They’re not concerts you sit and watch - they’re participatory, silly, and inclusive. It’s less Silent Night and more ‘stadium gig meets karaoke meets marshmallow sugar rush.’ Everyone becomes the choir, and everyone leaves a little lighter, whether they came for cocoa or cocktails.”
Tickets for both Carols and Cocoa (4.30pm) and Carols and Cocktails (7.30pm) on December 22, are available from The Newgate Social website.