Dick Whittington and His Cat
London has upped its panto game in recent years, with the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Hackney Empire and the Lyric Hammersmith all proving they can deliver. But there’s a new kid on the block as this creakily exquisite and atmospheric East End music hall gets in on the act with an original version of the pavements-paved-with-gold story, written by Roy Hudd (who also plays the Dame). Get this right, and Wilton’s should be the cat’s whiskers.
• At the Wilton’s Music Hall, London, until 31 December. Box office: 020-7702 2789.
Aladdin
The Hippodrome panto is always a big-hitter, with more frocks and frolics than your average seasonal offering and twice the glitter. The casting is top-notch too, and it’s hard to see how Old Peking won’t light up like a really vulgar and utterly unapologetic Christmas tree with the help of Julian Clary as the Slave of the Ring, Marti Pellow as Abanazar and Lee Mead as Aladdin.
• At the Birmingham Hippodrome, 19 December - 31 January. Box office: 0844 338 5000.
Dick Whittington
A real Midlands institution, the Playhouse’s panto, under the direction of Kenneth Alan Taylor, is always good old-fashioned entertainment. This is one for panto purists and family audiences, and over the years more than a million people have shouted: “He’s behind you” – and there’s no reason why Dick and his rat-catching cat shouldn’t have them all purring this year, too. No big stars but a class act.
• At the Nottingham Playhouse until 16 January. Box office: 0115 941 9419.
Snow White
It should be a merry Christmas to ewe and everyone else, when Shaun the Sheep makes his panto debut in Snow White. Quite how he fits into the story will remain a mystery until opening night, but he should be a panto natural and we won’t hear a baaaad word against him. Warwick Davis certainly is a bone fide panto star. We’ve seen him play Prof, head dwarf, in another production, and he lit up the stage and engaged brilliantly with the audience. So, likely to be fun.
• At the Bristol Hippodrome, until January 3. Box office: 0117 302 3310.
Cinderella
Rock’n’roll pantos combine the pleasures of seasonal fun with the jukebox musical, and they are increasingly popular, with the New Wolsey in Ipswich (The Sword in the Stone this year) and Liverpool Everyman (Rapunzel) both trailblazers in the field. Clwyd Theatr Cymru has long embraced the style with considerable success, and this year offers the greatest panto story of them all. Everyone should have a ball.
• At the Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, Wales, until 23 January. Box office: 01352 701521.
