Ghost Stories for Christmas

Matthew Wood brings Ghost Stories for Christmas to The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre on Friday 20 November, part of a UK tour that runs through to 21 December. It's a one-man live storytelling show by Edwyrdian Tales, and the evening is built around three stories: Lucky's Grove, The Wendigo and The Elder Son. Wood directs and performs them himself, and the whole thing is staged beside the Christmas tree lights, which fits the Christmastide theme he's working with.

It's a straightforward night of storytelling, about an hour and a half with no interval, so you'll be in your seat for the duration. The show isn't suitable for children under 10, and the venue is a first-floor room with no lift, so keep that in mind if you're planning your evening. The stories themselves are the focus, and Wood handles the whole thing on his own.

Edwyrdian Tales started in 2020 when Wood moved his performances from heritage sites like the Tower of London and Whitby Abbey online. Since then, the company has returned to venues including Hampton Court Palace and the Jersey Museum of Country Life. Wood has written and performed immersive theatre across many of Britain's heritage sites and has appeared at literary festivals dedicated to M.R. James and H.P. Lovecraft, so the ghost story territory is well-trodden ground for him. This is one of the dates on the tour that continues through December.

It runs from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm, with doors opening at 7:00 pm. The venue is The Helen Duncan Room at The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, 25 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh, EH12 5AP.