Penelope Wilton, Juliet Stevenson, Harriet Walter and Roger Allam tell Winter's Tales

Penelope Wilton, Juliet Stevenson, Harriet Walter and Roger Allam will read classic short stories as part of the Christmas programme in the Globe's candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

The series, titled Winter's Tales, will see the actors read stories by authors Anton Chekhov (Wilton, 21 December), Katherine Mansfield (Stevenson, 22 December) D.H. Lawrence (Allam, 28 December) and Daphne du Maurier (Walter, 5 January), accompanied by live music.

For the first time in its history, Shakespeare's Globe, which launched the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in January, will offer theatre, music and spoken word productions throughout the winter.

Adele Thomas' acclaimed production of The Knight of the Burning Pestle returns from 11 December 2014 to 11 January 2015, once again starring Pauline McLynn as the Citizen’s Wife, Phil Daniels as the Citizen and Matthew Needham as Rafe.

And on 15 December Charlotte Rampling and cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton will present The Night Dances, an evening of Sylvia Plath's poetry and Benjamin Britten's suites for cello. There will also be a series of candlelit concerts over the Christmas period.