Panto

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Panto news

Above The Stag Theatre - looking for new premises

Stag rises above the ashes

15 August 2022

Above the Stag Theatre’s renowned panto lives on whilst the search for new premises begins.

A J and Curtis Pritchard who will play Prince Charming and Dandini

Dancing Pritchard brothers join Cinderella in Leicester

26 July 2022

Dancing brothers A J and Curtis Pritchard will lead the line-up of Cinderella, the 2022 panto at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall.

Kimberly's seamless switch

20 July 2022

Coronation Street actor Kimberly Hart-Simpson is swapping the cobbles of soap land for a title role in St Helens.

Grand Dame for Blackpool

20 July 2022

This year’s Panto Dame at Blackpool Grand will be theatre favourite Philip Meeks as Nursie in Sleeping Beauty.

Everyone's talking about another Jamie!

10 July 2022

St Helens youngster Jamie Leahey and trusty sidekick Chuck join an all-star cast in his hometown’s Christmas pantomime Cinderella.

Dick turns again, to Bury

10 July 2022

Panto is coming to Bury Met.

Wicked fairy Carabosse: Michelle Collins

Michelle joins Sleeping Beauty cast in Chesterfield

6 July 2022

Michelle Collins, known for EastEnders and Coronation Street who earlier in 2022 toured in Cluedo, is to appear in panto in Chesterfield.

Goldilocks in Liverpool

3 July 2022

Epstein Theatre audiences in Liverpool will be treated to family pantomime Goldilocks And The Three Bears this Christmas.

Beanstalk thrives again

3 July 2022

Merseygirls star Alice Carlile and Liverpool Live’s Lesley Butler headline Jack & The Beanstalk at Hope Street Theatre, Liverpool.

Thomson to play Abanazar in Derby’s Aladdin

3 July 2022

John Thomson will play Abanazar in Aladdin at Derby Arena in December 2022—unless he gets cold feet.

St Helens has got Jon

9 June 2022

Britain’s Got Talent 2020 winner Jon Courtenay will appear as Dandini in the St Helens Theatre Royal pantomime Cinderella.

George Akid, Sam Rabone and Maria Conneely who will appear in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Lichfield Garick

Sam back for Lichfield Garrick panto Snow White

21 May 2022

Sam Rabone is to appear in his seventh panto at Lichfield Garrick, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and will also direct the show for the fourth year running.

John Elkington who will play Sarah the Cook in Dick Whittington

Callout for young performers for Nottingham panto

7 May 2022

Nottingham Playhouse is looking for young performers from the city and surrounding area for the young chorus for its 2022 panto, Dick Whittington.

Ben Goffe presents an award at The Pantomime Awards

Panto Awards—and the winners are…

24 April 2022

The Pantomime Awards were presented this week at a star-studded ceremony in London's West End.

Panto reviews

Sleeping Beauty

Tom Rolfe

Tom Rolfe for Tom Rolfe Productions

The Witham, Barnard Castle

17–24 December 2021

Dick Whittington and His Amazing Cat

Sean Canning with Matthew Chappell, Steven Jackson, Kate Mitchell and the cast

Eight-Freestyle and Contact

Contact, Manchester

11 December 2021–4 January 2022

Matthew Kelly (Dame Tilly Tuck) and Phil Walker (Silly Simon)

Robin Hood

Alan McHugh

Crossroads Pantomimes

Theatre Royal, Nottingham

11 December 2021–9 January 2022

Dick Turpin Rides Again

Berwick Kaler

Crossroads Pantomimes

Grand Opera House, York

11 December 2021–9 January 2022

Cinderella

Andrew Pollard

Wysch Productions

Godalming Borough Hall

11–26 December 2021

Aladdin

Alan McHugh, additional material by Ben Nickless

Crossroads Pantomimes

Opera House, Manchester

11 December 2021–2 January 2022

Wendi Peters (Carabosse), Natasha Lamb (Princess Rosa)

Sleeping Beauty

Janice Dunn

De Montfort Hall and Imagine Theatre

De Montfort Hall, Leicester

11 December 2021–3 January 2022

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Andrew Ryan with additional material by Tom Whalley

Martin Dodd for UK Productions

Sunderland Empire

10 December 2021–2 January 2022

Sleeping Beauty

Morgan Brind

Little Wolf Entertainment and Derby LIVE

Derby Arena

10 December 2021–8 January 2022

Beauty and the Beast

Jon Monie

Martin Dodd for UK Productions

The Anvil Basingstoke

9 December 2021–2 January 2022

Bonnie Langford (Lilac Fairy), Claudillea Holloway (Princess Beauty) and Joelle Moses (Queen Voluptua)

Sleeping Beauty

Alan McHugh

Crossroads Pantomimes

Churchill Theatre, Bromley

4 December 2021–2 January 2022

Pantoland at the Palladium

Devised for the London Palladium by Michael Harrison with Julian Clary, Paul ...

Crossroads Pantomimes

London Palladium

4 December 2021–9 January 2022

Darren Bennet, Anton Du Beke and Bobby Delaney

Cinderella

Alan McHugh

Crossroads Pantomimes

Richmond Theatre

4 December 2021–2 January 2022

Sleeping Beauty

Paul Hendy

Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes

Sheffield Lyceum

3 December 2021–3 January 2022

Fairy Fortywinks (JoJo Hatfield), Nurse Nora (Lewis Denny) & Chester the Jester (Charlie Richmond)

Sleeping Beauty

Tyne Theatre & Opera House and Enchanted Entertainment

Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle

3 December 2021–3 January 2022

Beast (Ben Andrews) & Belle (Lucy Carne)

Beauty and the Beast

Clare Allen

Georgian Theatre Royal

Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond

3 December 2021–9 January 2022

Brian Capron as King Rat and Bradley Thompson as Idle Jack

Dick Whittington

David Vickers and Richard Chandler

The Plaza, Stockport and Extravaganza Productions

The Plaza, Stockport

3 December 2021–9 January 2022

Dick Whittington

Jack Counsel

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

The Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford

3 December 2021–9 January 2022

Benjamin Lafayette (Prince Charming), Andy Day (Dandini) and Max Fulham (Buttons)

Cinderella

Paul Hendy

York Theatre Royal and Evolution Productions

York Theatre Royal

3 December 2021–2 January 2022

Jack & The Beanstalk The Rock 'n' Roll Panto

Peter Rowe

New Wolsey Theatre

New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

1 December 2021–8 January 2022

Beauty and the Beast

Dale Meeks

Mendes Management

The Exchange, North Shields

30 November–24 December 2021

Kirsty Whelan as Mum, Jodie Jacobs as Woody, Ashley Goh as Bow Peep, Elise Zavou as Red (Luke Latchman as Wolfie behind), Raphael Bushay as Wolf and Phil Nichol as Granny

Red Riding Hood

Book and lyrics by Carl Miller, music and lyrics by Robert Hyman

Theatre Royal Stratford East

27 November–31 December 2021

Jack and the Beanstalk

Paul Hendy

Evolution Productions

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

26 November 2021–9 January 2022

Cinderella

Plested and Brown

Corn Exchange

Corn Exchange Newbury

26 November 2021–2 January 2022

Joshua George Smith as Professor Beast and Jamal Franklin as Professor Belle

Sleeping Beauty and the Beast

Ben Hales, James Dunnell-Smith, John Woodburn, and Joshua George Smith

Sleeping Trees

Battersea Arts Centre

26 November–30 December 2021

Beauty and the Beast: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto

Peter Rowe

Leeds Heritage Theatres

City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds

26 November 2021–9 January 2022

Aladdin One Rub Too Many

James Chalmers

Guildford Fringe Theatre Company

The Back Room of The Star Inn, Guildford

25 November–31 December 2021

Maid Marian (Millie Binks), The Sheriff of Nottingham (Neil Armstrong) and Robin Hood (Jacob Anderton)

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Neil Armstrong and Paul Hartley

Gala Theatre

Gala Theatre, Durham

24 November 2021–9 January 2022

Rapunzel

Ray Spencer and Graeme Thompson

The Customs House

The Customs House, South Shields

24 November 2021–8 January 2022

Dame Trot (Clive Rowe), Daisy the Cow and Simple Simon (Kat B)

Jack and the Beanstalk

Will Brenton

Hackney Empire

20 November 2021–2 January 2022

Front: Emma Jay Thomas as The Prince of Spades, Gibsa Bah as Jack, The Knave of Hearts and Myla Carmen as The Princess of Diamonds. Behind: Andrew Pollard as The Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts

Andrew Pollard

Greenwich Theatre

19 November 2021–2 January 2022

Aladdin

Vikki Stone

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

19 November 2021–2 January 2022

Panto features

North East Christmas productions 2021

7 November 2021

Peter Lathan lists all the professional pantos and other Christmas shows in the North East between late November 2021 and early January 2022.