Mrs Claus' Checklist!

Mrs Claus' Checklist! is running at The Town Gardens Bowl in Old Town from 12 to 20 December, with two performances each day at 12.30pm and 2.30pm. It's a 60-minute interactive family production where the kids become part of the story and help save Christmas through a series of festive activities, with music, laughter and audience participation running through it. The two things they actually get to make and take home are decorated cookies and reindeer food.

The show is part of Christmas in the Town Gardens, the South Swindon Parish Council's festive programme, which is back for two free weekends following its first run in 2025. This year they've expanded the whole thing with more immersive installations, and the biggest new addition is Written in the Trees, a brand-new sculpture trail and storytelling experience. That one was a collaboration between local children's author Kate Claxton, Swindon Culture Collective and Prime Theatre, and it looks at the folklore, diversity and culture represented by the trees in the Town Gardens.

John Firmin, Chair of the Events Working Party at South Swindon Parish Council, noted that last year's events went down well, with over 400 people turning up for the Badbury Park Christmas Tree Light Switch On, and that these kinds of local gatherings are important for bringing communities together. The Christmas in the Town Gardens programme as a whole runs across two free weekends, so you can combine the show with the trail and the other installations without spending a fortune on the day.

As for the show itself, it's £2.00 per person, and with the 12.30pm and 2.30pm slots each day from 12 to 20 December, you've got plenty of options to fit it around your plans. The Town Gardens Bowl is in Old Town, so it's easy enough to get to if you're already in the area.