Everybody pooh-poohs the pantomime, but really it is a magical British affair that everybody loves to see. Christmas really wouldn’t be Christmas without a true traditional pantomime or festive play added to their agenda.
So, bring all the generations together this festive season for some good old family cheer and celebrate the season with these pantomimes and plays:
1. Cinderella
Venue: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford GU1 3UX
Dates & Times: 7th December - 6th January
Tickets: From £22- £29.50 (Children under 16 - £5 off all seats for all performances)
This star-studded line up for Cinderella, includes recording artist, actress and author Michelle Gayle as the Fairy Godmother, cabaret performer Kit Hesketh-Harvey plays Dandini, and there’s double-trouble as Eagle Radio DJ, Peter Gordon and his partner in ‘Panto-crime ‘Nick Barclay play the Ugly Sisters.
So, come and cheer on the spirited heroine as she searches for love in spite of the exploits of her hideous Ugly Sisters and evil Stepmother. Throw in a pair of singing mice, a magical Fairy Godmother, the sparkle of glass slippers with glittering sets, big song and dance numbers, slapstick comedy and a flying horse and you have the perfect Christmas family show!
2. Snow White and The Dwarfs
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Venue: The Harlequin Theatre & Cinema, Warwick Quadrant, Redhill RH1 1NN
Dates: 7th December - 31st December
Tickets: £17 - £23.50
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most fabulous panto star of them all? Join the Harlequin Theatre for a festive adventure into an enchanted fairytale forest and meet all your favourite characters along the way. Will the Wicked Queen banish Snow White once and for all, or will the handsome Prince obstruct her plans with some help from the dwarfs?
Expect huge helpings of laughter with a generous serving of traditional pantomime audience participation, mixed with stunning scenery, spectacular costumes, a dashing prince and the fairest Snow White of all. Add in seven dwarfs full of mischief and merriment, sprinkle with Fairy magic dust and its all the winning ingredients for a pantomime that simple must be seen!
3. Peter Pan
Venue: The Richmond Theatre, The Green, Richmond, TW9 1QJ
Dates: 8th December - 6th January
Tickets: £12 - £45
Join the high-flying hero, Peter Pan as he transports the Darlings on an adventure they will never forget. This star-studded panto is one not to be missed, filled with evil pirates, a very hungry crocodile and the meanest man in Neverland, Captain Hook played by BAFTA, Tony Award and two-time Olivier Award-winner Robert Lindsay in his first pantomime debut!
Joining Robert will be comedy impressionist and Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Jon Clegg as Mr Smee, West End star Rachel Stanley (Officer and A Gentlemen, Scrooge the Musical and Legally Blonde) as the Magical Mermaid, and Harry Francis (Book of Mormon, A Chorus Line, Fiddler on the Roof) as the boy who never grew up, Peter Pan.
4. Hansel & Gretel
Venue: The Rose Theatre, 24-26 High Street, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1HL
Dates: 6th December - 6th January
Tickets: £15-£35
Life is good in the little town of Freiburg. Somehow it has escaped the Great Famine laying blight to its neighbours. It has the highest of walls, the most bountiful of harvests and holds the biggest of parties. And everyone loves the town's mayor.
When young Hansel and Gretel are offered a trip to the city, with promises of a brighter future, little do they know of what awaits them in the forest. Battling magical beasts, enlisting a crew of fairy tale bandits and learning the secrets of their past, Hansel and Gretel must race to save their town from the Witch's Curse, and all in time for Christmas!
Don’t miss this new festive version of the Brothers Grimm's much-loved fairy tale written by Ciaran McConville to see how it all unfolds!
5. Cinderella
Venue: New Victoria Theatre, 1-9 Commercial Way, Woking GU21 6GQ
Dates: 7th December - 6th January
Tickets: From £16
The classic rags to riches tale will be told in true ‘panto’ style as they prove a new pair of shoes really can change your life! This spectacular family pantomime Cinderella show boasts a star-studded line up including the fab-u-lous Strictly Come Dancing panelist Craig Revel Horwood as the ever so wicked Stepmother, Paul Chuckle as Baron Hardup, Phil Butler as Buttons and Sophie Isaacs as the beautiful Cinderella.
Packed with all of the traditional pantomime ingredients audiences expect, Cinderella features laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes and plenty of boos and hisses. Join Cinderella as she goes from rags to riches, outwits her very Ugly Sisters and meets her dashing Prince Charming!
6. Aladdin
Venue: The New Wimbledon Theatre, The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1QG
Dates: 8th December - 6th January
Tickets: £16.90
This year at New Wimbledon Theatre, it will be showing another fun-loving traditional family panto, Aladdin. Boasting an incredible star-studded line up with Have I Got News For You panelist, comedian and presenter Paul Merton, who will be making his panto debut as he leads the cast in this year’s high-flying pantomime as Widow Twankey.
Joined by Blue singer and actor, Lee Ryan as Aladdin and magician Pete Firman who will be on hand to spread a little magic over SW19 and help Aladdin overcome the evil Abanazar. Packed with all the traditional pantomime ingredients audiences expect, this year’s show is a real treat for the whole family to enjoy and treasure.
7. Nativity Play
Leon Neal Getty Images
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GUILDFORD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 14: Joseph, played by Liam Driver, and Mary, played by Rachel Burdon, hold the Baby Jesus, played by Jasper Craven-Smith, stand onstage during a performance of the Nativity at Wintershall on December 14, 2016 in Guildford, England. Held in a barn on the Wintershall Estate for the last 26 years, the annual production tells the story of the birth of Jesus with a large cast and real farmyard animals. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Venue: Wintershall, Bramley, Guildford GU50LR
Dates: 12th-16th December
Tickets: Adult £18, child £9 and family £50 (2 adults & 2 children)
Come and experience a beautiful Christmas story in a new dramatic and intimate way this festive season. The story begins in the open air with shepherds, then the audience will take their seats in the atmospheric barn, where the story unfolds of how Jesus changed the world.
The Nativity Play is really a beautiful and captivating production, with a large cast of players and animals. This is the perfect opportunity to catch a show and reflect on the birth of Jesus at Christmas with the whole family.
There will also be delicious mince pies to tuck in to with hot drinks before the show.