Camp as Christmas is part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary programme, and is staged at the Purcell Room.

Featuring a classic nativity cast including the Virgin Mary, Father Christmas, Reform UK, Judy Garland, Three Unwise Men, Big Ben, the turkey, Melania Trump and her body double, the Devil, Little Donkey, Liza and Jesus … Expect Thick & Tight’s singular take on show tunes, the avant-garde, lightning-quick changes and possibly a carol.

Starring in these roles are Thick & Tight’s own Daniel Hay-Gordon and El Perry, with guest performers Annie Edwards (Candoco) and Harry Alexander (Michael Clark).

The atmosphere will be celebratory, inclusive and queer, striking a few festive notes while adding a good dollop of irreverence to the conventions of the season.

Tickets are available here.

Run time approx 1hr.

Thick & Tight photo by Darren Evans

Daniel and El told QX:

“When the Southbank Centre invited us to create a Christmas show for the Purcell Room, we knew exactly what the assignment was: An hour of non-stop entertainment utilising everything we have learnt as performers and choreographers. In a way, it will be a bit like returning to our roots. Though El and I trained in ballet and contemporary dance at Rambert, as theatre makers, we began developing our style while performing in gay bars and queer venues.

“We combined the rigour and physicality of dance with what was happening around us, like drag, lip-syncing, and live art. We love to make work which exists somewhere between high and low art, campy yet refined, outrageous and gorgeous, strange and silly, showbiz and avant-garde, anti-elite and exceptional. Political AND entertaining AND accessible. Camp as Christmas will keep bouncing between these seeming opposites, as that is what we love and what entertainment is to us.

“For years, Thick & Tight have created portraits of famous and infamous people: Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Freud, Madonna, Andy Warhol, the Kardashians, Quentin Crisp and more. Camp as Christmas will have a whole new troupe of stars, some from the classical nativity cast and modern additions. We also want the show to celebrate everything wonderful and awful about the times we are living in; expect to see those who have been naughty and nice on Santa’s list (we’re looking at you, Andrew and Farage). This is also a wonderful excuse to try our hand at some of the pinnacles of camp culture like Judy Garland and Liza; they’re always relevant and part of our culture for very good reasons.

“We want this show to be a great alternative show at Christmas time, for anyone who loves to watch dance, a panto or a carol concert but wants them all wrapped in one. A show which satirises and gift-wraps the season for you. We love to give audiences exactly what they want and hope they leave both giddy and stuffed to the brim!”

Aaron Wright, Head of Performance & Dance at the Southbank Centre, added:“The Southbank Centre is an engine of creativity: a home for artists to be their most adventurous and create extraordinary new work. As longstanding fans of Thick & Tight, we are thrilled to commission Camp as Christmas and present it centre stage as part of the Southbank Centre’s festive season. Our programming always seeks to offer new and existing audiences unique cultural experiences, and Camp as Christmas is certainly no exception – expect a distinctively sizzling evening of cabaret dance, charm and cheer!”

About Thick & Tight

Thick & Tight is a dance theatre company based in the UK, co-directed by Daniel Hay-Gordon and El Perry. They make queer-focussed work that entertains while challenging elitism, ableism, and stigma in the arts and wider society.

Formed in 2012, Thick & Tight have presented work at venues including Sadler’s Wells, Wilton’s Music Hall, The Tate, Royal Vauxhall Tavern and here at the Southbank Centre. They are Associate Artists at Lowry and Philharmonia Artists in Residence, recipients of the UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance and have been twice nominated for National Dance Awards. They also won an Offie in the Best Cabaret category in 2024.

Their 2025 show Natural Behaviour won Achievement in Dance at the UK Theatre Awards. It’s also been ranked the No. 1 dance show for 2025 in The Guardian. Their film Weathered Blue about Derek Jarman is currently on the festival circuit and has been very well received. Thick & Tight recently performed newly created work with the Philharmonia Orchestra as well as Manchester Collective, plus Danny Boyle’s You Are Here festival at the Southbank Centre.