Challenge your festive Theatre expertise with a bauble-tastic brainteaser that will tax even the most knowledgeable Christmas Musicals fan this yuletide! Pour yourself an egg nog, set the tree lights to “twinkle” and snuggle up with our fiendishly foxing festive quiz! Then check your score to see if you’re a Gruesome Gremlin or an Eloquent Elf!
ROUND ONE: WHO’S THAT MIXED UP DAME?
Nothing says Christmas like Pantomime, so we’re starting off our little Christmas Quiz with four famous Dames. But of course, we’ve jumbled them up! Can you guess these four mixed up national treasures?
(1 point for each Dame = 4 possible points)
DAME NUMBER ONE
It’s hard to believe this Dame was once crowned king of the jungle – especially with that washing machine on her head!
DAME NUMBER TWO
Look under the rollers and you’ll find more than just a great knight out!
DAME NUMBER THREE
This kaleidoscope of colour started out life on TV as The Joan Collins Fan Club – now he and Joan are both Dames!
DAME NUMBER FOUR
This antipodean housewife is famous for far more than panto – you might even call her a global superstar!
ROUND TWO: NAME THAT CHRISTMAS CRACKER.
We’ve made this round rather trickier. This sound clip contains six cracking songs, each from a movie musical or stage show. But can you name the show from just a few seconds of their Christmas themed tunes? We’ve included six cryptic clues to help you along.
(1 point for each show = 6 possible points)
Track 1 [00:01 – 00:15] Clue: If you can’t afford to buy the soundtrack, you can always borrow a copy.
Track 2 [00:16 – 00:22] Clue: The songs from this show just keep going round and round in my head.
Track 3 [00:23 – 00:31] Clue: If I leap into your arms, you’d better not drop me!
Track 4 [00:32 – 00:46] Clue: You’ll find this in the firmament, between a tree and the NT.
Track 5 [00:47 – 01:02] Clue: This is what you get when a department store has one floor dedicated to Santa.
Track 6 [01:03 – 01:24] Clue: Apparently this winter weather phenomenon arrived in the USA via Berlin.
ROUND THREE: UNSCRAMBLE THAT SNOW SHOW!
Can you decode these anagrams of famous Musicals, all of which feature a Christmas song? There’s a visual clue for each anagram.
(1 point for each show = 4 possible points)
ANAGRAM 1: HOLY INDIAN
This 1942 classic features what many consider the most famous festive song of all time…but can you name the vacation-based movie?
ANAGRAM 2: BITTERSWEET HO HO HELL TUNES TAXIES
It would be an expensive taxi ride to get there, but this lengthy anagram is easy if you know your American states! Can you decode the lone star musical?
ANAGRAM 3: OILY LIT BELL
The song “Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher” comes from this Olivier Award winning stage musical. But what’s the name of the twinkle-toed show?
ANAGRAM 4: ESME SHOVEL
This utterly charming musical features the song “Twelve Days to Christmas”. Can you figure out which show it comes from?
ROUND FOUR: NAME THAT BACKWARDS SONG
We’ve reversed a classic festive track. Can you name the singer, the song, and the movie it appears in? Need a clue? The star of this 1944 classic was born Frances Ethel Gumm.
(1 point each for singer, song, and movie = 3 possible points)
ROUND FIVE: NAUGHTY NATIVITY
Inspired by our favourite Youtube Christams clip, we’re going to end with three Nativity related questions. But first, to put a smile on your face, turn up your sound and keep your eye on the child with “the voice of an angel”.
Here are your three Nativity-inspired questions:
(1 point each for singer, song, and movie = 3 possible points)
a) A character in the musical Rent shares their name with a Nativity favourite? But which one?
b) Which stage musical, adapted from a 2001 Dreamworks movie, features a character called Donkey?
c) Which classic Nativity baddie shares a name with a character in Jesus Christ Superstar?
NOW CHECK YOUR ANSWERS AND REVEAL YOUR INNER CHRISTMAS CREATURE!
