A Hilarious Holiday Show from the Theater of Eccentrics

My kids and I have been checking out holiday shows and events all winter break, and I'm excited to share our experience with you. We recently saw a really cool show called 'Ded Moroz's Feast' put on by the Theater of People and Puppets 'Chudaki'.

We caught the show in Voskresensk at the Jubilee House, but you can catch it in other cities too, as the theater tours different houses of culture and theaters across Russia. Just be sure to check the local theater or house of culture for showtimes, as we couldn't find the schedule on the theater's website or social media groups.

Ticket Prices.

We paid 2000 rubles for a parter 10-row seat, which wasn't bad considering the value for money. Children under 3 years old get in for free with a parent, and they sit in the same seat.

No gifts are provided, not even paid ones, but we picked up some small treats at the store and handed them out to the kids in the lobby.

Show Description.

The 'Chudaki' Theater has put together a fantastic and fun holiday show that offers a fresh take on traditional winter holiday stories. On stage, you'll meet two winter holiday icons – Ded Moroz and Santa Claus – who've decided to celebrate New Year's together for the first time.

Santa's wife, Frau Gretchen, wasn't too thrilled about this unexpected twist and caused quite a commotion. For Ded Moroz's grandkids, this was a complete surprise. Ded Moroz had to overcome many obstacles to meet up with Santa.

You'll find out all about their adventures at the show. The story unfolds dynamically, keeping the audience engaged. The show starts in the lobby, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement for the holiday!

The show lasts about 1.5 hours, with no intermission. The recommended age range is 0+, although I saw some really young kids in the audience. I don't think kids under 2-3 years old will fully understand the story, but they'll love the colorful and dynamic visuals.

Before the show, the theater puts on an animated program called 'Around the Christmas Tree' in the lobby. We arrived an hour before the show, but they wouldn't let us in. They said we were too early, and I thought, 'But what about the pre-show animation program?'

We went to the nearest store while the kids picked out some coloring books and treats. We grabbed a snack and headed back to the theater about 30 minutes before the show. The theater was pretty empty, but the seats were already taken. While we were checking in our coats and using the restroom, they started letting people in on the second floor – about 20 minutes before the show.

There was a small Christmas tree standing in the foyer. Since we were in the front rows, we managed to take a photo with it without any hassle. Later on, it got really crowded. The kids were getting impatient for the show to start. To get the crowd excited, three performers dressed as lollipops came out on stage. The kids started taking photos with them, but not all of them were able to.

Program in the foyer

The program in the foyer started right on time at 11, as indicated on our tickets. I'm not sure what the confusion is about the 30-minute wait before the show. It just didn't make sense to me.

First, some vegetables came out and told jokes to the kids. Then, Santa Claus and two Snow Queens appeared on stage. They chatted with the kids, played with them, and invited everyone to the main hall.

I wasn't impressed with the program in the foyer. It wasn't bad or boring, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. There were too many kids, and the foyer was too small. We didn't even fill the entire hall, and there were plenty of empty seats. The format of the show was to pick a few kids from the front rows and play with them. Even the conga line was limited to just 10-15 kids. It would have been great to have the whole audience participate, like dancing together or singing a fun song. We had six performers in total: Santa Claus, two Snow Queens, and three vegetables. It would have been easy to get everyone involved, even if not all the kids danced. Just imagine dancing with one kid, then another, and another. It would have been a great way to get everyone involved.

The Show

The show itself was quite unique. Everything about it was different: the costumes, makeup, script, and even the characters. Santa Claus had two granddaughters! I know it's not uncommon for grandfathers to have many grandkids, but we're used to seeing just one Snow Queen with Santa Claus.

The costumes were quirky, funny, and colorful. The makeup was also quite humorous, even the Snow Queens had a long nose.

Overall, the name of the theater 'The Eccentrics' is well-deserved.

The script was also quite unique. Santa Claus invites our Santa Claus to visit him. What's so special about it? I've never seen a story about two Santas meeting before. This year, I even showed the kids how different Santas look in different countries. I'm not sure if they understood that our Santa Claus went on a trip, but they were definitely interested.

The show was not only unique but also interesting and funny. All the scenes were played with humor. Mrs. Claus, Santa's wife, was hilarious as she ran around the stage, trying to cook soup for the kids. All the actors were funny, falling over, making funny faces, and talking in a silly way.

I have to say, the show was a real treat for the whole family. My 3-year-old and 5-year-old kids were glued to the stage the entire time. That's all that matters, right? Even I was entertained, and I'm usually the one behind the camera. I only managed to take a few photos of the stage because I was too busy enjoying the show.

One thing that did bug me was the interactive elements. They released balloons and balls into the audience, and a few kids got to come on stage. I'm not a fan of this trend, to be honest. Some kids got to grab the balls and balloons, but others might feel left out. My daughter was a bit disappointed when she didn't get a ball, but we did get a balloon, and she was thrilled!

Additional costs:

There weren't any, unless you count the treats we bought at the store.

I was impressed by how budget-friendly the whole experience was. No overpriced concessions or merchandise stands. We didn't even have to deal with a table selling spinning toys or anything like that.

I appreciated that they didn't turn the show into a fundraising event. We got to enjoy the performance without breaking the bank.

In the end, the show was unique, funny, beautiful, interesting, and engaging. The kids loved it, and so did I.