Masque Theatre presents The Old Curiosity Shop

for 4 days, 1 hour
Church Of The Holy Sepulchre
Sheep Street/Church Lane Northampton, NN1 3NL, United Kingdom

DATES: Tue 9th-13th October 2025

WHERE: The Round, Holy Sepulchre Church Hall, Church Lane, Northampton NN1 3NL.

All performances start at 7.30 pm

PRICE: £10

Step into a world of mystery, heartbreak, and unforgettable characters.

Follow young Nell and her grandfather on a perilous journey through Victorian England, fleeing danger after their lives are thrown into disarray and destitution, due to the machinations of an evil moneylender.

A timeless tale of resilience, tragedy and the enduring power of hope.

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens is not often performed on stage and so I set about adapting the novel to suit the performance venue.

There are many of the recurring characters of Dickens’s works: a nasty moneylender, scheming legal clerks, gentlemen, philanthropic gentlemen, eccentric old ladies to name a few.

The story has been compared to Pilgrims Progress, with the journey taken by Nell and her Grandfather broken down into episodes, in each of which Nell learns something of life from the people she meets.

Dickens does not spare your feelings when portraying the cruelties of working (or non-working) class life in the 19th Century, but amidst the suffering the overriding message is of hope for better things to come.

A central element of the story is Grandfather’s addiction to gambling, an issue still just as much a problem in the modern world. In the novel, Nell pays the ultimate price for his weakness. In this adaptation, being performed near to Christmas, I may need to insert a little more hope there!

Masque is an amateur community based theatre group , established in 1932, and who perform 6 plays a year.
Tickets for each play are £10 and can by booked by phone on 07783 531542 or via the website www.masquetheatre.co.uk

Church Of The Holy Sepulchre

Holy Sepulchre has been welcoming worshippers and visitors in Northampton since 1100AD.

While we love our building we recognize that the church community is more than a building and our services, events, and groups all aim to bring people together.

As a registered Inclusive Church we welcome all people regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, mental or physical abilities, or financial or social status. We fully support the ministry of women as deacons, priests, and bishops.

Services are usually followed by tea, coffee and biscuits in the adjacent Community Room.

We also know that attending a church for the first time can be a little nerve-wracking and daunting too. For this reason we have a community manager whose job it is to answer any of your questions, meet you before service, escort you into the building, introduce you to others and walk you through how we worship here. We want you to feel cared for here and not allow nerves or worries to get in the way of your worship. Just e-mail [email protected] and we can start chatting.

Similarly, if you want to attend but getting here is a challenge, e-mail as we might be able to help.

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Edmund Gibbs

Church of The Holy Sepulchre,
Church Lane

NN1 3NL
Churchwarden
07941 508839

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Masque Theatre presents The Old Curiosity Shop

for 4 days, 1 hour
Church Of The Holy Sepulchre
Sheep Street/Church Lane Northampton, NN1 3NL, United Kingdom

DATES: Tue 9th-13th October 2025

WHERE: The Round, Holy Sepulchre Church Hall, Church Lane, Northampton NN1 3NL.

All performances start at 7.30 pm

PRICE: £10

Step into a world of mystery, heartbreak, and unforgettable characters.

Follow young Nell and her grandfather on a perilous journey through Victorian England, fleeing danger after their lives are thrown into disarray and destitution, due to the machinations of an evil moneylender.

A timeless tale of resilience, tragedy and the enduring power of hope.

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens is not often performed on stage and so I set about adapting the novel to suit the performance venue.

There are many of the recurring characters of Dickens’s works: a nasty moneylender, scheming legal clerks, gentlemen, philanthropic gentlemen, eccentric old ladies to name a few.

The story has been compared to Pilgrims Progress, with the journey taken by Nell and her Grandfather broken down into episodes, in each of which Nell learns something of life from the people she meets.

Dickens does not spare your feelings when portraying the cruelties of working (or non-working) class life in the 19th Century, but amidst the suffering the overriding message is of hope for better things to come.

A central element of the story is Grandfather’s addiction to gambling, an issue still just as much a problem in the modern world. In the novel, Nell pays the ultimate price for his weakness. In this adaptation, being performed near to Christmas, I may need to insert a little more hope there!

Masque is an amateur community based theatre group , established in 1932, and who perform 6 plays a year.
Tickets for each play are £10 and can by booked by phone on 07783 531542 or via the website www.masquetheatre.co.uk

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Safeguarding

Our Parish is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults from harm. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO). Our Diocese’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor who advises our PSO. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the PSO Dr Siobhan Hyland [email protected] or the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor Carole Fitzsimons 01733 887040 [email protected] If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority’s children or adult social care services.

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Church Of The Holy Sepulchre Charity No. 1145945