Get ready to laugh your heart out – and introduce your children to the joys of interactive theatre. Nothing says Christmas spirit to us quite like booing a baddie and cheering the goodies. Here are the Christmas pantos to check out now.
This might just be the anti-panto, but it really is a must-see this festive season: The Royal Opera and Candoco Dance Company have joined forces to bring Shaun Tan's magical and thought-provoking book, The Lost Thing, to the stage, bringing together disabled and non-disabled dancers, musicians and singers to tell the story of a lost thing and the boy who helps it to find its way home.
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Kids 6 and up will enjoy this retelling of Cinderella at the Lyric with the usual fare: wicked stepmums, ugly stepsisters, pumpkins, mice and a bit of magic. This marks the Lyric's 11th panto year, and Timmika Ramsay makes her Lyric and panto debut as the title character.
A panto with no words? This might just be every parent's dream come true.The show follows a boy and his snowman on a Christmas adventure, where they encounter everything from dancing reindeer to Father Christmas himself. Howard Blake’s score, including ‘Walking in the Air’, will be performed by a live orchestra. A gorgeous intro to get little ones into theatre.
Clive Rowe is back where he belongs - holding court on stage at the Hackney Empire - along with panto regulars Kat B and Tony Whittle, in this story of Dick Whittington, who boards the Empire Windrush in his native Jamaica in search of a new life in London. There's magic, emotional family reunions, royal rodents, an enchanted feline, fairies, love, fame, fortune and more, with plenty of gags and electrifying song and dance numbers to delight the whole family. And let's not forget there'll be plenty of festive cheer and baddies to boo at...
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Cinderella as you've never seen it is coming to Croydon this Christmas starring Strictly winner Ore Oduba (in his panto debut as Dandini), Tim Vine (Buttons) and CBeebies' Cat Sandion (Fairy Godmother). Expect a mix of magic, raucous laughter, song and dance and audience interaction in this brand-new production of our favourite rags to riches tale. In fact, you might want to book into Fairfield Halls' varied venues for a few shows this December: other family highlights include a production of Julia Donaldson's Tabby McTat and the London Mozart Players' orchestral version of Raymond Briggs' The Snowman.
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Mischief Theatre, the team behind The Play That Goes Wrong, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Groan Ups, also has a hilarious Christmas show, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, which sees technical glitches, flying issues and in-fighting among cast members on the stage in this tribute to J.M. Barrie's best-selling tale. Perfect for kids... and adults who believe we should never really grow up completely.
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Finding a musical the kids will like can be tricky: some are too long, some are too complicated. Goldilocks and the Three Bears looks just right: it tells the story of Dame Betty Barnum and her daughter, Goldilocks, whose circus is under threat from an evil rival circus owner. The show stars Paul O'Grady as the Evil Ringmaster, Matt Baker (Joey the Clown), Julian Clary (Ringmaster), Paul Zerdin (Silly Billy), Nigel Havers (Daddy Bear) and Gary Wilmot (Dame Betty Barnum). Look out for illusionists, skaters, stunt riders and more.
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Greenwich Theatre celebrates the 50th anniversary of its reopening with Sleeping Beauty by Andrew Pollard this year, for a tale that will transport you across time (all the way back to 1969) and place. This panto is an update on the original Sleeping Beauty by Pollard at the Greenwich Theatre from 2006 and has plenty of excitement, adventure and gravity-defying thrills to delight audiences of all ages.
Fee, fi, fo, fum, Jack and the Beanstalk is landing in Peckham. This Christmas panto update sets the story on a London estate where Jack lives and where aspiring detective Lucy is trying to piece together the clues to solve the mystery surrounding a recent spate of break-ins. A mystical rapper gives Jack a bag of magical beans... and you'll have to watch to see what adventures abound. The production is directed by Olivier-nominated, award-winning playwright Paul Sirett, with 80s-inspired music composed by Wayne Nunes and Perry Melius. The cast includes Yinka Williams, Tamara Mccoy-Patterson and Michael Bertenshaw as the dame.
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Discover who's the fairest in the land at Richmond Theatre's panto this festive season, starring Jo Brand as the Wicked Queen, Jon Clegg (of BGT fame) as Muddles and Jason Sutton as the dame. Just add seven dwarfs, a prince and princess, a magical mirror, plenty of laughs and evil plot twists, exuberant song and dance numbers and you've got a panto to delight audiences of all ages.
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Your favourite rags-to-riches story is getting the panto treatment in Wimbledon this festive season, with an all-star cast of Samantha Womack (Wicked Stepmother), Lesley Garrett (Fairy Godmother), Melody Thornton (Cinderella) and Pete Firman (Buttons). We shall go to the ball!
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