Dick Whittington, London Palladium

Dick Whittington, panto classic and festive favourite, will open at the London Palladium on 9 December. Expectations are high.

Following the adventures of Whittington and his cat, the classic rags-to-riches tale will incorporate all manner of pantomime crowd pleasers, with everything from traditional audience participation to a villainous Queen Rat.

This Christmas' must-see pantomime follows hot on the heels of last year’s offering: Cinderella, which was the first pantomime to show at the London Palladium for almost 30 years. Cinderella broke box office records and was nominated for two Olivier Awards.

Many of the Cinderella cast members will be returning for this production, including comedian and pantomime regular Julian Clary, and actor Nigel Havers. If you think those are enough celebrity names for one show, think again: Half a Sixpence star Charlie Stemp will take the titular role, backed by musical theatre legend Elaine Page and the dance troupe Diversity.

Tickets start at £22.50. If last year's success story is anything to go by, they will sell out very quickly; book early to avoid disappointment.

Recommended ages: 5+