Glacier - about wild swimming at Christmas - to open in December

Alison Spittle has written her second play, about three women going wild swimming.

The dark comedy Glacier – which revolves around friends who meet up at at the tranquil Lake Foxleighmere every Christmas Day – will run at the Old Fire Station in Oxford in December.

The comic said: ‘Never have I thought about Christmas so much all year round! I finished this play in a heatwave.

‘With our director Madelaine Moore, our fantastic cast and the team at the Old Fire Station, I hope this play will make a splash. 

‘This show is an ode to the joyous, unkind and generally dull parts of adult friendships, especially around the festive season.’

Her first play, Starlet, premiered at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2019, with The Irish Times saying it ‘packs a serious nostalgic punch’.

Since 2016, the Old Fire Station has produced Christmas shows for grown-ups, with previous productions including Working Christmas and  30 Christmases, both written by comic Jonny Donahue of Jonny & The Baptists,

Clara Vaughan, the venue’s chief executive,  said ‘Glacier is the perfect blend of the two qualities we look for in an OFS Christmas show: it’s hilarious, and it’s poignant.’

The venue shares its space with a Crisis homelessness centre, whose clients   are encouraged to get involved creatively, become staff members and to come and see the shows free of charge. 

Glacier, which stars Debra Baker, Emma Lau  and Sophie Steer, runs from December 4 to 23. 

Published: 18 Oct 2023