That’s because Christmas in British theatre means pantomime season. With so many theatres in London, there’s plenty of pantos on throughout the capital and we’ve listed the best of them for you below.

What Pantomimes can you see in London for Christmas 2025?

Cinderella at the Rose Theatre, Kingston-upon-Thames

Nestled in the leafy, market town of Kingston-upon-Thames, this year the Rose Theatre offers a magical fairytale that’s not quite the story you know. With direction by Olivier Award winner Chris Bush (Standing At The Sky’s Edge), this show also features brand new songs. 

Cinderella retells the fairy story of a girl forced to spend Christmas with her wicked new step-mum and horrid twin step-sisters. When she’s whisked away into a magical world of castles and princes, will she find her happy ending?

26 November 2025 – 4 January 2026

Dick Whittington And His Catford Cat at the Broadway Theatre, Catford

Proving you don’t need to fly to New York to visit Broadway, Catford’s own Broadway Theatre presents a modern and local version of Dick Whittington, who was the actual Lord Mayor of London in the 14^th and 15 centuries.

In this version, Dick Whittington sets sail from the West Indies on the Empire Windrush to seek his fortune on London’s streets of gold. Accompanied by who else but the Catford Cat, join Dick as he takes on the Queen Rat, meet an eccentric fairy and fall head over paws in love.

9  – 31 December 2025

Jack And The Beanstalk at the Lyric Hammersmith

After the success of last year’s smash sell-out Aladdin, the panto team of Sonia Jalaly and Nicholai La Barrie are back at the Lyric Hammersmith. In this reinvention of the fairy story, Jack and Jill have joined the strictest school in Hammersmith, where the headteacher sends naughty kids off to the giant – whatever that means.

With musical bangers, jaw-dropping magic and whip-smart comedy, join Jack and Jill on the climb of a lifetime to find the Fairy Godmother and bring joy back to West London

15 November 2025 – 4 January 2026

Beauty And The Beast: A Horny Love Story at the Charing Cross Theatre

For the third year running, Charing Cross Theatre hosts the big gay panto that is strictly for adults only. Expect plenty of outrageous outfits, colourful contouring and saucy word play as you’re transported to the Scottish village of Lickmanochers where a naïve mummy’s boy is taken prisoner by an aristocratic brute.

21 November 2025 – 11 January 2026

Potted Panto at Wilton’s Music Hall

If you can’t decide which panto is for you, then why make that choice? In this madcap show, you can experience seven classic pantomimes in 80 hilarious minutes all within the confines of Wilton’s, one of London’s oldest surviving music halls. What better venue for a pantomime than the music hall, one of they key influences on pantomime?

3 December 2025 – 3 January 2026

September 1970. A year after the Stonewall Riots, Harper’s Magazine publish the now notorious article ‘Homo/hetero: the struggle for sexual identity’. Acclaimed journalist and former editor of Harper’s Magazine, Merle Miller reads the article from his home in upstate New York and decides to take a stand.

September 1971. Merle sits at his desk and begins to write. Part man, part memory, he invites the audience to join him on an incredible journey of his life from provincial Iowa to the pages of the New York Times.

What It Means is an emotional voyage through history. It highlights the importance of standing up for what you believe in, accepting the validity of one’s own voice and taking a courageous step onto the platform that is offered to you, however long it may take.

The Lot Productions has recieved support from charity Stage One and the production company’s co-founder Nisha Oza says about the investment:

“Stage One’s support has grown as I have grown as a producer. I started my trajectory on their Bridge The Gap programme, with my first independent production World’s End at the King’s Head Theatre being the first recipient of their small-scale investment fund. I am now a trustee for the organisation, and proud to be moving forward working under the ethos of ‘independent producing with an inclusive mindset’ with my company The Lot Productions. My development and courage as a producer is something that would not have been formed without Stage One.”

The charity Stage One has supported theatre producers through educational programmes and investment schemes. Society Of London Theatre, the non-profit organisation that runs Official London Theatre, has been an integral supporter of Stage One since it was established over 40 years ago.

What It Means is directed by The Lot Production’s Creative Director Harry Mackrill and stars Richard Cant as Merle Miller. It opens at Wilton’s Music Hall on 9 October and runs until 28 October.

‘Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope’ – a glorious, truthful and uplifting celebration of a genuinely unique human being, multi award-winning cabaret-musical ‘A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad)’ and acclaimed play ‘Black Is The Color of My Voice’ starring Fringe First award winner Apphia Campbell, are to be presented together in a short season at Wilton’s Music Hall curated by Olivier Award-winning producer, James Seabright.

QUENTIN CRISP: NAKED HOPE

Tuesday 1 June, 2021 at 7.30pm

‘Naked Hope’ is a glorious, truthful and uplifting celebration of a genuinely unique human being, and of the urgent necessity to be yourself. Written and performed by Mark Farrelly, and directed by the legendary Linda Marlowe, who also directed Farrelly’s show ‘The Silence of Snow’.

“It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile, Be yourself no matter what they say.” – Lyric from ‘An Englishman In New York’, written by Sting about Quentin Crisp.

‘Naked Hope’ depicts the legendary Quentin Crisp at two distinct phases of his extraordinary life. Firstly, in the late 1960s in his filthy Chelsea flat.

“Don’t lose your nerve: after the first four years the dust won’t get any worse”

The second part of the play transitions the audience to New York in the 1990s. Here a much older Quentin, finally embraced by society, regales the audience with his sharply observed, hard-earned philosophy on how to have a lifestyle.

“Life will be more difficult if you try to become yourself. But avoiding this difficulty renders life meaningless. So discover who you are. And be it. Like mad!”

A SUPER SAD STORY (ABOUT FEELING SUPER SAD)
Thursday 3 & Friday 4 June 2021, at 7.30pm

Following award-winning, sell-out London and Edinburgh seasons, and prior to appearing off-Broadway, the acclaimed cabaret musical that explores how it’s OK to not be OK comes to Wilton’s for two nights only. Written by double Olivier award winner Jon Brittain (‘Baby Reindeer’; ‘Rotterdam’; ‘Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho’) with music by Matthew Floyd Jones (Frisky and Mannish).

Sally’s a happy person. She doesn’t let little things get her down and almost never cries. But she’s got an illness. It makes her feel like she isn’t the person she wants to be, but she doesn’t want anyone to know about it.

Winner: Scotsman Fringe First Award and Best Musical Award at Edinburgh Fringe, nominated: Best Musical Off West End Awards (Offies) 2020, Best Director (Musicals) Off West End Awards (Offies) 2020, BeBest Mental Health Fringe Award and Holden Street Theatre Award.

‘A Super Happy Story’ has been created with, and commissioned by, award-winning Hull company, Silent Uproar, who champion writers to create daring and fun nights out to make the world a little bit better.

BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY VOICE

Saturday 5 June, 2021 at 7.30pm

Following sell-out seasons in Shanghai, New York, Edinburgh and at London’s Trafalgar Studios, Wilton’s Music Hall and Crazy Coqs, the Fringe First award winner Apphia Campbell brings her acclaimed play with back to Wilton’s for one night only.

Inspired by the life of Nina Simone, Apphia Campbell’s stunning solo performance ‘Black Is The Color Of My Voice’ follows a successful jazz singer and civil rights activist seeking redemption after the untimely death of her father. She reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church, to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.

Little Angel Theatre reopens from 28 May with Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s The Smartest Giant in Town

Little Angel Theatre will open its doors again to socially distanced audiences with a brand-new production based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much-loved story The Smartest Giant in Town, published by Macmillan Children’s Books. Co-produced with Fierylight, the new show is a highlight of Little Angel’s 60th anniversary season and will run from 28 May – 8 August at Little Angel Studios.  Tickets will go on-sale on 12 May (subject to government guidelines) at littleangeltheatre.com.

The Smartest Giant in Town is adapted for the stage by Little Angel artistic director Samantha Lane, who also directs, and award-winning musician Barb Jungr, who has also composed new music for the production.  Their previous collaborations for Little Angel including The Singing Mermaid, Mother Christmas and The Pixie & the Pudding.

This heart-warming tale about kindness and helping those in need will be brought to life in a musical, puppet-filled adventure, following on from Little Angel’s bestselling adaptations of Julia Donaldson’s picture books including The Paper Dolls, The Flying Bath, The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat, The Everywhere Bear and The Singing Mermaid.

George wishes he wasn’t the scruffiest giant in town. So when he sees a new shop selling giant-sized clothes, he decides it’s time for a new look: smart trousers, smart shirt, stripy tie, shiny shoes. Now he’s the smartest giant in town . . . until he bumps into some animals who desperately need his help – and his clothes!

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are the UK’s leading picture book partnership. Their books together, which include modern classics The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, are popular globally and have sold over 75 million copies worldwide. The Smartest Giant in Town was first published by Macmillan Children’s Books in 2002.

Be sure to check out our Family Theatre Fun page for lots of fun activities, games and online theatre for the whole family to enjoy.

In a collaborative project with director Thomas Hescott, the duo have recruited 8 emerging writing talents to form Sketching, a uniquely multi-authored play. Sketching draws inspiration from Charles Dickens’ first novel Sketches By Boz, and tells tales of 24 hours in the life of London.

We spoke to Himanshu Ojha, one of the selected writers, and Thomas about the unique experience, what they’ve both gleaned from it, and why the result is a must-see for anyone who loves London.

Sketching is booking from Wednesday 26 September – Sunday 28 October at Wilton’s Music Hall. 

Himanshu Ojha – Writer

For anybody who hasn’t heard of Sketching, can you tell us a little about the show itself, and the project behind it?

Sketching is a collection of stories about different parts and people of London. It’s almost like a curry – just lots of different flavours and slices of life, jumbling up against each other!

In terms of the project itself, this is an idea that James and Tom have had for about 7 years now. The idea was to use Dickens’ short stories to talk about different sides of London and, over time, they also came to see it as a way of championing new writers – and so we have Sketching!

There’s 9 writers – including James – 5 actors, and more than 50 characters.

What experience of theatre did you have prior to Sketching, and what made you want to apply for it?

When I came out of Uni I acted for a couple of years, not particularly successfully! I got the chance to study journalism in America, dropped the acting, and I’ve been a journalist since then.

It was in May when James announced the competition. I still have a lot of friends in the theatre world, and it was a really easy competition to get involved with. You just had to write a 300-word story idea.

Most new writing competitions want you to have a fully-fledged script, which is difficult if you’re working in another job. An idea for a story can capture that moment and inspiration without having to beat it down with the specifics of crafting pages and pages of dialogue. I saw it, wrote down an idea within a weekend, and got it down on the last day – I think like most of the other writers here!

You applied, got in – how did the process then work for the writers?

There was a launch at Wilton’s Music Hall at the end of July, and that was the start of a 3-day workshop period where all 8 of us met up for the first time and met with James and Tom.

For 3 days we were in a room. James basically ran it like an American-style, TV writers’ room, where we’d talk about our individual story ideas, different ways they could play out – because not all of them, including mine, were fully fleshed out at this point – and we discussed it as a group.

And we also talked about what kind of things we liked about theatre, what kind of things we’d like to avoid, over a really happy 3 days. “Workshopping” sounds like work – but it was mainly just 3 days of talking about stories and theatre, and our stories in particular.

What were you hoping to gain from the process?

Having 8 other extremely good writers in the same position as you. They’ve all had work put on before, and they’re all just fantastic people to talk to, which is very accommodating for a novice like me. I just kept asking questions!

It’s nice to have people who are experiencing the same highs and lows as you are – it’s quite reassuring. And in terms of working with James, he was just lovely – it was one of the best editing experiences I can ever hope to have.

He asks all the right questions, but also gives you the power to fix your own problems. It was just the perfect mix of encouraging and questioning, and a really organic process.

What aspects of playwriting have you enjoyed the most?

I’ve found myself over this summer really enjoying the collaborative aspects. Coming up with a scene in your head and having your imaginary characters dancing around and arguing with each other is great fun, but then taking that into a rehearsal room with actors and directors can be quite daunting at first. I was pretty sure I’d be really defensive!

It’s been really lovely to see what other people bring to make your work look better! I think the fun of stage writing is creating something and having other people buoy it up, and then it becomes everyone’s thing.

Finally, coming back to Sketching, why should audiences come and see it?

Come see what you know about London…. and come see what you don’t know!

Tom Hescott – Director

How would you describe Sketching?

Sketching is inspired by Charles Dickens’ short stories, Sketches By Boz. A number of years ago James [Graham] and I were chatting, and we both loved the idea of telling the story of London and what it means to be a Londoner.

We started to play around with that and became interested in Dickens’ short stories, Sketches By Boz, particularly as he often would unmask extraordinary Londoners you might not know about. As we started to workshop that idea, it became really clear to us that, to tell the story of a whole city, we had to include more than one singular voice, so we were excited to bring in emerging writers.

We started to create this idea that the content of the play – hidden voices in London – would meet the process of the play – bringing writers together to give a platform for those voices.

There must have been a lot of interest in that platform!

I think there was over 800 applicants!

So what in particular made these writers stand out?

We weren’t sure when we started, we were very open-minded. We were particularly struck, as we started to whittle them down, with the stories that surprised us. They took us in directions we weren’t expecting.

Dickens’ novels were often quite twist-y and turn-y with great big character archs, but were also grounded in a sense of reality. All of Sketching’s stories particularly inspired us because they led us in unexpected ways, and they surprised us as we went through them – they inspired us.

How did you go about bringing together these stories into a singular show?

We brought the writers together and started to explore each of the stories, and form a structure. They each went away and wrote their story.

James also has 3 or 4 stories that weave in and out, so he started to piece it together and find a way of creating a cohesion. And exactly how he’s done that, you’ll have to come and find out!

What do you hope the writers are taking away from the entire experience?

I hope they are excited to see their work come to life. First and foremost, we’ve brought everyone together to create an extraordinary play.

Each of the writers will be learning like the rest of us. It’s not about James and I passing wisdom on to a bunch of emerging writers – it’s about people working together and exploring a set of stories, and in that process the writers in the room inform us, the actors inform us, and we all inform each other. We’re all here to create something collaboratively, and we can all take away something from that.

Creating theatre can be a competitive industry. How did you get into directing?

I studied Theatre Design at Central, and was a Stage Door Keeper at the Royal Court. They had a young writers’ workshop coming up, and I said I’d love to help out, so they made me an unpaid Assistant Director, and that’s how I began!

For anybody who’s thinking about getting started in directing, what advice would you give?

Explore what your own voice is and what work you’re passionate about. Think of yourself as a storyteller and the stories that you want to tell.

Don’t get bogged down in the career side of things – follow the stories that inspire you and find the platforms for those, rather than getting bogged down in “What Chekhov should I direct this year?”!

Why should everybody see Sketching?

You will go on the most extraordinary, surprising journey through the city that you could imagine.

And if you come on different nights, you may well see a different play…