New Tiers for Old?: Panto Season 2020

The Government has now announced which areas of England would be placed into its new Local COVID Restriction Three Tier System.

Under the latest rules, venues under Tier Three restrictions are not permitted to host performance, whilst those in Tier One and Tier Two may do so, but must not exceed 50% capacity or 1,000 attendees (whichever is the smallest). The current Tiers will be reviewed every fortnight, with many venues currently in Tier 3 hoping that their status will be downgraded to enable performance.

Of course, those in Tier One and Two are also subject to revision and may find themselves in Tier Three should the R-number increase locally. Venues and producers across all Tiers are now faced with a difficult decision: to continue with rehearsals (permitted under all Tiers) and commit to staging the production in the hope things will change? Or cancel the run now due to uncertainty? Some venues have already announced plans to move the Christmas pantomime to Easter, whilst others have embraced live-streaming to ensure the show can go on regardless.

Below, you can find information on which Tier your local panto has been put in. Please note: Tiers will be reviewed and potentially revised on Wednesday 16 December. Producers and venues in Tier Three are currently deciding whether to continue with their production, postpone it or move to online-only. Just because a pantomime may currently be in Tier 3 does not necessarily mean it will be cancelled. Likewise, Tier One and Two venues are currently assessing the risk and likelihood of being placed in Tier Three and how this would affect the production.

Tier One

1. Shanklin Theatre, Isle of Wight (Rapunzel)

Tier Two

1. Babbacombe Theatre, Babbacombe (Aladdin)
2. McMillan Theatre, Bridgwater (Aladdin)
3. Fisher Theatre, Bungay (Raiders of the Lost Panto)
4. Cambridge Arts Theatre (Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver)
5. Civic Theatre, Chelmsford (Sleeping Beauty)
6. Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham (Tweedy's "Reduced" Pantomime (That Might Go A Bit Wrong!))
7. Elgiva Theatre, Chesham (Sleeping Beauty)
8. Hawth Theatre, Crawley (Dame Dolly Saves Panto)
9. Corn Hall, Diss (The Magic of Panto)
10. Chequer Mead Theatre, East Grinstead (Almost a Panto)
11. The Maltings, Ely (The Wizard of Oz)
12. Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe (Cinderella)
13. St George's Theatre, Great Yarmouth (Rubbin Wood)
14. Godalming Borough Hall (Beauty and the Beast)
15. The Star Inn, Guildford (D!ck the Adult Panto)
16. Harlow Playhouse (Treasure Island)
17. Harrow Arts Centre (Red Riding Hood)
18. Haverhill Arts Centre (Dame Dora's Pop Up Panto Party!)
19. Princess Theatre, Hunstanton (Mother Goose)
20. Kenneth More Theatre, Ilford (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
21. Town Hall, Kidderminster (Aladdin)
22. Leatherhead Theatre (The Magic of Panto)
23. Above the Stag, London (Dick Whittington: A New Dick in Town!)
24. Canal Café, London (Peter Pandemic)
25. Colour House Children's Theatre, London (Cinderella)
26. Garden Theatre, London (Frostbite - Who Pinched My Muff?)
27. Garrick Theatre, London (Potted Panto)
28. Karma Sanctum Hotel, London (Snow White and the Seven Poofs)
29. Millfield Theatre, London (Puss in Boots)
30. National Theatre, London (Dick Whittington)
31. Lion and Unicorn Theatre, London (Little Red Riding Hood)
32. London Palladium, London (Pantoland at the Palladium)
33. Phoenix Arts Club, London (Alice in Streamingland)
34. Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London (Pricked: Sleeping Beauty Got Woke)
35. Turbine Theatre, London (Cinderella)
36. M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool (Jack and the Beanstalk)
37. Otterspool Adventure, Liverpool (Aladdin)
38. Braywick Leisure Centre, Maidenhead (Jack and the Beanstalk)
39. Milton Keynes Theatre (Sleeping Beauty)
40. Unit Nine, Milton Keynes (Cinderella)
41. Corn Exchange, Newbury (Aladdin)
42. The Deco, Northampton (Sleeping Beauty)
43. Theatre Royal, Norwich (Panto in a Pickle!)
44. Palace Theatre, Paignton (Aladdin)
45. Nottingham Playhouse (Cinderella)
46. Theatre Royal, Nottingham (Sleeping Beauty)
47. The Cresset, Peterborough (Jack and the Beanstalk)
48. Theatre Royal, Plymouth (Robinson Crusoe)
49. Lighthouse, Poole (Happy Ever After)
50. King's Theatre, Portsmouth (Dick Whittington)
51. Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham (Almost a Panto—A Family Christmas Adventure)
52. Little Theatre, Sherringham (Rapunzel the Lockdown Panto) then tours to St George's Theatre, Great Yarmouth
53. Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury (We’ll Have to do it Again Then, Won’t We?!)
54. Hanger Farm Arts, Southampton (Dick Whittington)
55. Hanger Farm Arts, Southampton (Mother Goose and adult panto Mother Goosed!)
56. Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (Sleeping Beauty)
57. The Stage Door, Southampton (Aladdin - All it took was one little rub . . . of hand sanitiser!)
58. The Atkinson, Southport (The Wizard of Oz)
59. Theatre Royal, St Helens (Beauty and the Beast)
60. Pavilions Teignmouth (Dick Whittington)
61. Roses Theatre, Tewksbury ((Almost) A Christmas Carol)
62. Palace Theatre, Watford (Dame Terry's Very Merry Christmas)
63. Bishop's Palace, Wells (Build Your Own: Improvised Pantomime)
64. Pavilion Theatre, Weymouth (Rapunzel)
65. Alderford Lake, Whitchurch (Dick Whittington)
66. Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne (Jack and the Beanstalk)
67. Theatre Royal, Winchester (Four Dames in Search of a Panto)
68. Theatre Royal, Windsor (Cinderella)
69. Octagon Theatre, Yeovil (Nurse Nellie Saves Panto)
70. Theatre@41, York (Jack and the Beanstalk)
71. Theatre Royal York: On tour (Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington and Snow White in rep)

Tier Three

1. Forum Theatre, Billingham (Sleeping Beauty)
2. Blue / Orange Theatre, Birmingham (Blo White
3. Blue / Orange Theatre, Birmingham (Sleeping Beauty)
4. Cadbury World, Birmingham (Sleeping Beauty)
5. Joe Longthorn Theatre, Blackpool North Pier (Cinderella)
6. The Globe, Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Aladdin)
7. Grand Theatre, Blackpool (Pantomonium!)
8. Victoria Hall, Bolton (Beauty and the Beast)
9. Bradford Playhouse (Sleeping Beauty)
10. Bristol Hippodrome (Robin Hood) then tours to the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
11. Malthouse Theatre, Canterbury (Beauty and the Beast)
12. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (Nurse Nellie Saves Panto)
13. Century Theatre, Coalville (Dame Flossie's 60 Minute Panto)
14. The Muni, Colne (A Christmas Cracker)
15. Majestic Theatre, Darlington (Dick Whittington)
16. Astor Theatre, Deal (Santa Saves Christmas)
17. The Woodville, Gravesend (Rapunzel)
18. St Chad's Parish Centre, Headingly (Red Riding Hood)
19. Hollygarth Social Club, Ilkley (Red Riding Hood)
20. Garrick Theatre, Lichfield (Jack and the Beanstalk: The Bite Sized Panto)
21. Lowther Pavilion, Lytham St Annes (Jack and the Beanstalk)
22. Manchester Opera House (Sleeping Beauty)
23. Boulevard, Newcastle (Jack and the Beanstalk)
24. Boulevard, Newcastle (Sinderella)
25. Theatre Royal, Newcastle (Robin Hood)
26. Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle (Jack and the Beanstalk)
27. Dearne Playhouse, Rotherham (Mother Goose)
28. Benn Hall, Rugby (Cinderella)
29. Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield (Aladdin and his Magic Lamp)
30. Hardwick Hall (Frozen Out)
31. Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks (Jack and the Two Metre Beanstalk)
32. Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (Damian's Pop Up Panto!)
33. Richmond Holiday Centre, Skegness (Peter Pan)
34. Charles Young Centre, South Shields (A Christmas Story)
35. Clover & Wolf, South Shields (Dickless Whittington)
36. Customs House, South Shields (Arbuthnot & Dame Bella's Christmas Adventure)
37. Hedworth Hall, South Shields (Cinderella)
38. Stratford Playhouse (Sleeping Beauty and Jack and the Beanstalk)
39. Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (Robinson Crusoe)
40. Sports Centre, Studley (Sleeping Beauty)
41. Nissan Sports and Leisure Complex, Sunderland (Mother Goose)
42. EM Forster Theatre, Tonbridge (Robin Hood and his socially distanced Merry Men)
43. Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells (Jack and the Beanstalk)
44. Playhouse Theatre, Weston-super-Mare (Sleeping Beauty)
45. Princess Alexandra Auditorium, Yarm: (Dick Whittington) then tours to Coatham Memorial Hall, Redcar