Activities & Days Out / 3 July, 2023 / Christina Walter
It might seem a little early to be thinking about booking Christmas shows and pantos, but nope. It’s that time already! (Oh, no, it’s not… Oh, yes, it is!)
We’ve rounded up the best family pantomimes and theatre this year, so book while seats are available! We definitely don’t want you to miss out – oh, no, we don’t!
When it comes to the best Christmas shows, you can’t get more traditionally festive than The Nutcracker. Over 100 dancers and musicians bring Nutcracker to life with exquisite dancing, beautiful sets and Tchaikovsky’s popular score played live.
Featuring Anton Du Beke as Smee, step into a thrilling Christmas journey alongside Peter Pan and the beloved characters you cherish. This exciting escapade is a perfect treat for the whole family, packed with your favourite companions such as Tinker Bell, Wendy, John, and Michael Darling.
Disney’s FROZEN – the beloved animated film that always gives us chills – is now playing in London’s West End. The Theatre Royal Drury Lane opens its doors to bring Elsa and Anna’s story to the stage in this heart-melting theatrical production.
With incredible special effects, jaw-dropping scenery, and all the songs you know and love, it’s going to be an unmissable experience that will stay with you long after the curtain falls.
Grab a handful of magic beans and venture into a sky-high world of magic, wonder, and angry giants in this perfect festive treat for the whole family.
Aladdin yearns for love and fortune, envisioning a life filled with endless possibilities. His dreams take flight when he stumbles upon a mystical lamp and encounters an enigmatic genie. It seems like all his wishes are about to be granted, but will the forces of evil intervene and thwart his desires…?
Helmed by the talented Clive Rowe as Widow Twankey, this production guarantees an extraordinary ensemble, mesmerizing costumes, irresistible laughter, and show-stopping song and dance routines that are truly magical! Prepare to be captivated by the sheer brilliance of it all!
A Christmas panto you can’t miss!
Writer, actor, comedian, radio and television presenter Paul Merton will be stepping out from behind the iconic Have I Got News For You desk and donning the Panto Dame’s heels at Richmond Theatre this Christmas as he steps into the role of Sarah the Cook!
The Fairy Godmother of panto returns! Dust off your carriage and polish your slippers, for you shall go to the ball next winter.
Award-winning writer and composer Vikki Stone is back at the Lyric after winning Best Script at The British Panto Awards for our production of Aladdin in 2021. In this brand-new panto, expect sass and magic, rip-roaring comedy, live music and the usual Lyric twist you’ve come to know and love.
Flying into The London Palladium this Christmas, Peter Pan will be the West End’s ultimate pantomime adventure.
Starring Jennifer Saunders as Captain Hook and Julian Clary as seaman Smee, the cast includes all your Palladium panto favourites including Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, Gary Wilmot and the return of Louis Gaunt and Rob Madge with Frances Mayli McCann making her Palladium panto debut.
This winter family favourite is the timeless tale of a boy and a snowman who comes to life. Back for its 26th year, The Snowman is a magical stage adaptation of the much-loved picture book by Raymond Briggs and the film directed by Dianne Jackson.
The Snowman is directed by Bill Alexander and features music and lyrics by Howard Blake, including the song ‘Walking in the Air,’ spectacular design by Ruari Murchison, magical lighting by Tim Mitchell, and amazing choreography by Robert North, all of which is accompanied by a live orchestra.
Perfect for preschoolers, touching, funny and utterly original, Freckle Productions’ delightful adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Stick Man is back on stage!
Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist and Olivier-nominated actress Alison Jiear as the Fairy Godmother.
And the showstopping Daniel Norford as Dandini, who has taken the theatre world by storm in credits including The Welkin, All of Us, and Small Island (National Theatre).
Join Cinders as she goes from rags to riches, outwits her very wicked sisters and meets her Prince Charming.
The clock is ticking, so book your tickets today!
Join plucky Dick Whittington and trusty cat on their quest for fame and fortune. Arriving in London, disaster strikes, as the streets aren’t paved with gold, but overrun with rats unleashing hell across the city…
So as Dick sets out on exciting escapades far afield, he’s going to need more than the help of Alice Fitzwarren and cheery cook Sherrie Trifle if he’s to fulfil his magical destiny to become Mayor of London!
Hot on the heels of last year’s record-breaking Sleeping Beauty, winner of the Off West End 2023 Best Pantomime award, this festive sparkling favourite with side-splitting jokes, fabulous actor-musician musicality and traditional mayhem, is guaranteed to delight all ages.
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, don’t miss the fairest pantomime of them all!
Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs had to feature in our best Christmas shows and pantos guide, and this year the production will be coming to Greenwich Theatre. Secure your tickets early for the theatrical event of the season. Written by everyone’s favourite baddie, Anthony Spargo!
New for 2023, the Broadway’s very own, newly formed Pantomime Company brings you a very sparkly special Christmas treat: Dick Whittington – An original, especially written production for Barking & Dagenham.
You are invited to get into the festive spirit as Warner Bros. Studio Tour London’s annual Hogwarts in the Snow feature returns!
Starting at the Great Hall, bedecked in the gold decorations from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, all the way through to Hogwarts castle model, fan-favourite sets throughout the Studio Tour will be displayed in their festive finery. Learn the secrets behind ice that never melts and fire that doesn’t burn and see a blanket of filmmaking snow covering the Forbidden Forest, Diagon Alley and the magnificent Hogwarts castle model.
If you enjoyed our round-up of the best Christmas shows and pantos to book now, you might like:
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