Panto

Panto podcast episodes

Panto news

“True highlight” of Derngate’s 40th year: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Oduba and Peters lead Northampton Snow White cast

1 June 2023

Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba and actress Wendi Peters will head the cast of Royal and Derngate’s 2023 panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Garrick searches for ensemble for panto

27 May 2023

Lichfield Garrick is looking for recent graduates or early career professionals for the professional ensemble for Beauty and the Beast.

DJ Mills to make panto debut in Leicester

16 May 2023

BBC Radio 2’s Scott Mills will appear in Jack and the Beanstalk at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall.

Dr Ranj prescribes laughter for Nottingham panto

28 April 2023

TV personality and presenter Dr Ranj will play Spirit of the Bells in Nottingham Theatre Royal’s 2023 panto Dick Whittington.

“Dream come true”: Alison Hammond and the main cast of Jack and the Beanstalk

Alison Hammond to appear in Birmingham panto

21 April 2023

Birmingham-born TV presenter and reporter Alison Hammond is to appear in Jack and the Beanstalk, the 2023 panto at the city’s Hippodrome.

Ellis Kerkhoven, Estelle van Warmelo and Madi MacMahon from the Courtyard, Hereford who picked up the best director award

Midlands theatres’ success in panto awards

14 April 2023

Midlands theatres are celebrating after being recognised in the UK Pantomime Association’s 2023 awards.

Old pals act for Aladdin

12 April 2023

Old pals feature in a double act for Blackpool Grand’s panto when TV’s Tom Lister joins Steve Royle in Aladdin.

Anne to govern in Chesterfield panto

23 March 2023

Anne Hegerty, The Governess from the ITV quiz programme The Chase, will play the Empress in Aladdin at Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel Theatre.

Sleeping Beauty in Liverpool

19 March 2023

Audiences at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre are invited to join the fairytale fun as Regal Entertainments presents Sleeping Beauty.

Beauty of a Beast in St Helens

19 March 2023

Beauty and the Beast sweeps into St Helens Theatre Royal.

Regal in panto running

19 March 2023

Regal Entertainments Ltd has been shortlisted in four categories at the National Panto Awards 2023.

Pantomime Awards 2023

19 March 2023

There will be panto partying as the UK Pantomime Association celebrates the 2023 Pantomime Awards next month at an awards ceremony in London.

Wizard start to panto season

23 January 2023

St Helens Theatre Royal stages the first of four pantomimes in 2023, with The Wizard Of Oz.

Cinderella is De Montfort’s highest grossing panto

13 January 2023

Leicester’s De Montfort Hall staff are celebrating after Cinderella had more than 30,000 people to watch the 2022 show.

Blackpool has a Beauty

10 January 2023

Blackpool Grand Theatre’s annual Christmas pantomime Sleeping Beauty has proved to be more of a ‘slumbering’ giant.

Mother Goose heads to Lowry

8 January 2023

Mother Goose, starring Ian McKellen as Mother Goose and John Bishop as Vic Goose, will come to The Lowry, Salford.

Panto reviews

Arbuthnot and The Beanstalk

Ray Spencer and Graeme Thompson

The Customs House

The Customs House, South Shields

11–16 April 2023

Mother Goose

Jonathan Harvey

Ambassador Theatre Group Productions

The Lowry

5–9 April 2023

Mother Goose

Jonathan Harvey

Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, Hunter Arnold and more.

Sheffield Lyceum

14–18 February 2023

Shane Richie (Muddles) and Peter Piper (King Crackerjack)

Sleeping Beauty

Alan McHugh from the Brothers Grimm original

Crossroads Pantomimes

The Lyric, Theatre Royal Plymouth

16 December 2022–14 January 2023

Rumpelstiltskin

Script by John Savournin with music and lyrics by David Eaton

Charles Court Opera and Music Theatre in association with Park Theatre

Park Theatre (Park 90)

13 December 2022–14 January 2023

Rob Madge as Pat the Cow and Louis Gaunt as Jack

Jack and the Beanstalk

Devised by Michael Harrison with Dawn French, Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin and R...

Crossroads Pantomime

London Palladium

10 December 2022–15 January 2023

Cinderella

Will Brenton, adapted by Eric Potts

Imagine Theatre and De Montfort Hall

De Montfort Hall, Leicester

10 December 2022–2 January 2023

Jason Manford as Captain Hook and Ben Nickless as Smee

The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan

Harry Michaels, additional material by Jason Sanford & Ben Nickless

Crossroads Pantomimes

Opera House, Manchester

10–31 December 2022

Robin Hood: The 80’s Panto

Eight-Freestyle

Eight-Freestyle and Contact

Contact, Manchester

10–31 December 2022

Beauty & the Beast

David Phipps-Davis, Guy Pascall, Charlie Richmond

Enchanted Entertainment

Tyne Theatre and Opera House

9 December 2022–8 January 2023

Robin Hood

Daniel Buckroyd and Le Navet Bete

Exeter Northcott Theatre and Le Navet Bete

Northcott Theatre, Exeter

9 December 2022–7 January 2023

Aladdin

Morgan Brind

Little Wolf Entertainment and Derby LIVE

Derby Arena

9–31 December 2022

Dick Whittington

Ben Richards

The Big Tiny & The Met

The Met, Bury

8–24 December 2022

Peter Gordon as Mary from the Dairy with Earnest Stroud and James Merry

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack Counsel

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

3 December 2022–8 January 2023

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Harry Michaels

Crossroads Pantomimes

Theatre Royal, Nottingham

3 December 2022–8 January 2023

Jack and the Beanstalk

Paul Hendy

Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes

Sheffield Lyceum

2 December 2022–3 January 2023

Faye Campbell, Jason Battersby and Maddie Moate

All New Adventures of Peter Pan

Paul Hendy

York Theatre Royal and Evolution Productions

York Theatre Royal

2 December 2022–2 January 2023

Dick Whittington and his Cat

Al Lockhart-Morley

Cambridge Arts Theatre

1 December 2022–8 January 2023

Jack and the Beanstalk

Plested, Brown and Wilsher

The Corn Exchange Company

Corn Exchange Newbury

25 November–31 December 2022

Sleeping Beauty

Paul Hendy

Evolution Productions

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

25 November 2022–8 January 2023

Dick Whittington: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto

Peter Rowe

City Varieties Music Hall

City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds

25 November 2022–8 January 2023

Robin Hood

Anthony Spargo

Greenwich Theatre

24 November 2022–8 January 2023

The Adventures of Robin Hood in Cooksonville

Graeme Thompson and Ray Spencer

The Customs House

The Customs House, South Shields

24 November 2022–7 January 2023

Goldilocks and the Three Bears—The Rock 'n' Roll Panto

Peter Rowe

New Wolsey Theatre

New Wolsey, Ipswich

24 November 2022–28 January 2023

Cinderella

Anna Nicholson and Bobby Goulder

Oxford Playhouse

22 November 2022–8 January 2023

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jude Christian and Sonia Jalaly

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

19 November 2022–7 January 2023

Mother Goose

Will Brenton

Hackney Empire

19 November–31 December 2022

Cinderella

Book and lyrics by Leo Butler, music and lyrics by Robert Hyman

Theatre Royal Stratford East

19 November 2022–7 January 2023

Sarah Pearson, Shorelle Hepkin, Sophie Ellicott

Robin Hood

Fine Time Fontayne and Chris Lawson

Oldham Coliseum Theatre

12 November 2022–7 January 2023

Panto features

Support Our Theatres

2 December 2022

Philip Fisher suggests that if the government and Arts Council England won't support our theatres then we need to.