We have combined our December and January news into one enjoyable and festive filled post.
Image: The image for Scouse Dick Whittington is an illustration of a young man pausing on his journey to survey a landscape with a distant vista of Liverpool: the Liver Building, the cathedrals, the Radio City tower, the Mersey ferry. He wears a purple track suit top and carries a knapsack on a stick over his shoulder. A purple Superlambanana stands faithfully by his side.
Wednesday 29 November 8pm
THE SCOUSE DICK WHITTINGTON Royal Court Liverpool
The world-famous, record-breaking, eye-popping, lung-busting, side-splitting, knee-trembling Royal Court Christmas show is back! There’s a live band, great gags and some pretty rude words so leave the kids at home and get down here for the best night of the year.
"Join Dick on his quest to become the new Lord Mayor of Liverpool, where the streets are paved with chewing gum. Can he outwit the dastardly King Rat? Oh yes he can!"
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The image for Merchant of Venice is a production photo. Close up to the front is Tracy-Ann Oberman as Shylock. She raises her fist defiantly. Behind her other characters in shirtsleeves hold a home-made banner which reads: They Shall Not Pass.
Thursday 30 November 7.30pm
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (1936) HOME Manchester
A welcome return for this acclaimed production first seen at HOME in March 2023 and starring Tracy-Ann Oberman. Tensions in London’s East End are rising and Shylock, a resilient single mother and hard-working businesswoman, is desperate to protect her daughter’s future. When the charismatic merchant Antonio comes to her for a loan, a high-stakes deal is struck. Will Shylock take revenge, and who will pay the ultimate price? Don’t miss this unforgettable, electrifying new production of The Merchant of Venice, a timely reminder of a key moment in British history.
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The banner image for Little Red is an illustration of a young person, from shoulder height down, wearing a red cape and carrying a wicker basket containing a pie. Tentatively they make their way through a spooky dark forest, on a narrow path illuminated in red.
Friday 1 December 5pm
LITTLE RED AND THE BIG BAD WOLF HOME Manchester
Join our feisty heroine Little Red as she follows the path to Grandma’s house, meeting talking sheep, dancing trees and a jazz-singing Wolfie along the way. Can she resist his musical stylings and get safely to Grandma’s house? In a world where the woodcutter is chopping down all the trees, is Mr Wolfie the big, baddie we think he is? And is Grandma the ‘trophy-hunter’ really sick? With irresistible adventure, superb visual storytelling and songs that you’ll be humming all winter.
Suitable for 4 years plus
Described by Davinia Jokhi
Image: The image for Jesus Christ Superstar is a close-up photograph of the torso of a muscular black man, turned sideways to us. His neck is tensed upwards and he holds a microphone in his left hand, his right hand fingers outstretched. Both of his hands up to halfway up the forearm are covered in silver paint or make-up and he has a double-angel tattoo on his bicep. Gold sparkles fill the air.
Saturday 2 December 2.30pm
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Bradford Alhambra
Gorgeous, thrilling, heavenly musical says The Guardian. Book now!
Described by Theo Hornsby-Walsh
Image: The banner image reads Hamilton An American Musical, 11 Tony Awards, The Pulitzer Prize. Against a textured gold background, a man in 18th century frock coat and top boots stands in silhouette, turned slightly sideways, his left arm pointing upwards.
Tuesday 5 December 7.30pm
HAMILTON Palace Theatre Manchester
Hamilton is the multi award-winning masterpiece by Lin-Manuel Miranda, coming soon to the Palace Theatre, Manchester! This is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. The score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway - the story of America then, as told by America now.
The Hamilton musical is the winner of 11 Tony Awards including Best Musical, 7 Olivier Awards, the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The image for Snow White shows the cast in costume arrayed head and shoulders against a sparkly deep blue background. Centre left is Kelle as the Good Fairy. They smile except for Niki.
Thursday 7 December 2.30pm & Thursday 14 December 2.30pm Saturday 6 January 2024 1pm
SNOW WHITE Wolverhampton Grand
The Grand’s festive family spectacular stars Kelle Bryan (Eternal, Hollyoaks, Loose Women) as the Good Fairy Elementa, with Gyasi Sheppy (CBeebies) as the dashing Prince and Niki Colwell Evans (X Factor, Blood Brothers, Kinky Boots) returns, but this time…she’s WICKED! They join Evie Pickerill (CBeebies) as Snow White, Tam Ryan as Muddles & Ian Adams as Nanny Nolly. Join them to look in the mirror, defeat the Evil Queen and follow Snow White & the prince on their journey to find true love’s kiss in this ultimate fairy-tale family adventure.
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The banner image for Six has the title in capital letters to the left, with a gold crown standing in for the dot of the i. To the right the six queens hold mics, singing and throwing shapes, dressed in their colourful, radically-updated mediaeval costumes.
Thursday 7 December 8pm
SIX Regent Theatre Stoke
From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves but their lipstick is rebellious red. Think you know the rhyme, think again… Divorced. Beheaded. LIVE!
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The illustration for Around the World has the show title in gold 3D letters wrapped around the Earth, against a cloudy skyscape. A belt with a gold pocket watch circles the globe. Perched on top are famous landmarks: the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, etc. A balloon with a basket flies overhead.
Friday 8 December 7pm & Saturday 30 December 2.15pm
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Bolton Octagon
A new musical adaptation based on the novel by Jules Verne. Wealthy and eccentric entrepreneur Lady Phileas Fogg makes a bet that she can travel around the world in just 80 days...but surely it can’t be done? With her entire fortune on the line, Phileas sets off from London in a wild dash across the globe. Travelling through fascinating and exotic lands, Phileas and friends get into all sorts of adventures. They jump from boats to trains, trek across Europe to Asia, celebrate Diwali in India and soar through the Americas battling storms and bandits. Will they make it back to London in time for Christmas or will the bet be lost? Adventure awaits!
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The illustration for Little Princess depicts a girl in profile, sitting reading in the recess of her bedroom window. Outside are dark and snowy rooftops. The room is in shadowy blue except for a burst of gold light which glows from her opened book, showing a magical landscape of fir trees with a magpie flying over the girl’s head.
Friday 8 December 7.15pm
A LITTLE PRINCESS Theatre by the Lake Keswick
Discover the real magic of storytelling this Christmas in this show adapted by Amanda Dalton from the children’s classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Journey with Sara Crewe as she travels from the freedom of a childhood in India to a boarding school in a cold dark corner of northern England. Just as she begins to build a brighter world for herself and her friends some devastating news arrives from home and her life takes a terrible turn. Meanwhile, our storyteller, Ramdas, is on his way from faraway Shimla with a twist in the tale that could change everything. He must find the girl with a strong heart and a head full of wild imaginings before it’s too late.
Described by Maria Major
Image: The image for The Bodyguard is a production photo of chorus dancers and singers in sexy, tight-fitting clothes. The men swing or hold the girls, long, angular legs and arms. The backdrop is glowing red, reflected in the shiny black stage surface. Front centre, a black female dancer in a skimpy fringed red dress stands tall and slim, her right hand raised high.
Saturday 9 December 2.30pm
THE BODYGUARD Birmingham New Alex
The international, award-winning smash-hit musical is back! Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard Frank Farmer is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge–what they don’t expect is to fall in love. Features a whole host of irresistible classics including Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, Run to You, I Have Nothing, Greatest Love Of All, Million Dollar Bill, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and one of the greatest hit songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The image is a near-photographic illustration of a teenage girl in faded pink dungarees and stripy pink and white top. She has blonde pigtails. She is sweeping the cobblestones of a castle gateway, the gates open to a landscape behind her.
Sunday 10 December 5pm
CINDERELLA Storyhouse Chester
Let Storyhouse whisk you away to the ball this Christmas with a seasonal spectacular – the most famous fairy-tale of them all. Packed with pop favourites and overflowing with magical moments, this enchanting family-friendly Christmas show promises to send you home with a smile on your face and joy in your heart, and with plenty of dancing, clapping and laughing along the way. Glass slippers are optional – but a great time is guaranteed. Oh yes it is!
Described by Chris Berry
Image: James Bye as Prince Charming stands resplendent in doublet and cape, hands on his hips, in front of a red backdrop of a rustic thatched cottage. A glittery gold halo surrounds him.
Wednesday 13 December 6pm
SNOW WHITE Waterside Theatre Aylesbury
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, this year’s fun-filled family Panto has it all! Aylesbury Waterside Theatre’s enchanting family pantomime promises all the fun their panto audiences have come to know and love. Starring EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing star, James Bye, alongside family favourite Andy Collins (BBC Three Counties Breakfast Show), who is returning due to popular demand. A traditional family pantomime full of audience participation and laughter.
Described by Nicola Williamss
Image: The banner image for Jack and the Beanstalk has Jason and Ben in costume against a green glittery landscape with a towering castle. A scroll reads The Giant Pantomime Spectacular.
Thursday 14 December 7pm
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Opera House Manchester
Fee-fi-fo-fum, a giant of a panto full of fun!
Comedy superstar Jason Manford is back by popular demand to lead the cast in the title role. He is joined by returning Manchester panto favourite Ben Nickless as Silly Simon, star of stage and screen Myra DuBois, and West-End performers Samara Casteallo and Emma Williams. Follow Jack and climb a beanstalk of gigantic proportions to cloudland in the spectacular family panto.
Described by Theo Hornsby-Walsh
Image: The image has the show title in gold letters, with the i of Christmas like a lit candle. The background is glowing red with white snowflakes.
Friday 15 December 7pm
A CHRISTMAS CAROL Dukes Lancaster
Whilst Christmas cheer and goodwill thrive across Victorian England, grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge goes to bed on Christmas Eve with no compassion or love in his heart. That night he is visited by the spirit of his old business partner Jacob Marley and is taken on a mystical journey through yuletides past, present and future – will he be able to see the error of his ways before it’s too late? Featuring toe-tapping music, festive fun and a touch of Christmas magic, this heart-warming and uplifting tale of redemption is the perfect festive treat for the whole family.
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The image for Dark Tales shows angular tombstones and sinister plants silhouetted against a ghostly green background.
Friday 15 December 7.30pm
DARK TALES IN WINTER Wolverhampton Arena
Carnivorine by Lucy H. Hooper, adapted by Matt Beames.
The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted by Hannah Torrance.
In the midst of winter, the Arena Theatre and Beautiful Shadows bring you a double-bill of chilling, classic tales. These Dark Tales in Winter are set together in an evening of entertainment that will bring a delightful chill to the season.
Described by Sue Reading
Image: The image for Peter Pan shows the cast in costume against a starry blue background. Under is the title in gold with the strapline The Panto Adventure That Never Grows Old.
Sunday 17 December 5pm
PETER PAN Venue Cymru Llandudno
Venue Cymru welcome back John Evans in the pantomime adventure that never grows old! Joining John this Christmas will be Carley Stenson (Hollyoaks, Dancing on Ice), James Lusted and Jason Marc-Williams. When Wendy and her brothers encounter the mysterious Peter, the boy who never grows old, they are whisked off to the magical island of Neverland. With the island under threat can they help Peter and the Lost Boys to defeat the villainous Captain Hook and his infamous pirate crew?
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The image for Little Women shows the March sisters and their mother in nineteenth century homespun dresses against an interior wall of wooden planks.
Monday 18 December 7.30pm
LITTLE WOMEN HOME Manchester
Published in 1868, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women was an immediate critical and commercial success and is one of the best loved novels of all time. By turns comic, dramatic, romantic, and tragic, the book was inspired by Alcott’s experiences growing up with her three sisters, and is the story of the March family: mother Marmee and her daughters, beautiful Meg, tomboy Jo, sensitive Beth, and spoilt Amy, as they struggle to survive in New England during the American Civil War. Anne-Marie Casey’s adaptation of the classic story offers an exciting theatrical experience guaranteed to be a night (or afternoon!) filled with laughter, tears, and a lifting of the spirits. Delight says the Guardian.
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The image for Pretty Woman The Musical has the title in block capitals in the centre. On the left, the lead actress, wearing a low-cut red silk dress, leans forward. She has red lips and a wisp of brown hair escapes her coiffure. Just behind her, the lead actor stands arms folded, wearing a dinner suit and bow tie, looking admiringly towards her. On the right stands a third actor, looking attentively towards us. He wears a neat, grey three-piece suit and a wide smile,
Wednesday 20 December 7.30pm
PRETTY WOMAN Globe Theatre Stockton on Tees
Make a date to see Hollywood’s ultimate rom-com, live on stage. Once upon a time in the late ’80s, Vivian met Edward and her life changed forever. Be swept up in their romance in this dazzlingly theatrical take on a love story for the ages – and get to know these iconic characters in a whole new way – in a sensational show that took London’s West End by storm, guaranteed to lift your spirits and light up your heart.
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: Brian Conley as Buttons stands arms folded, with a wry smile on his face, against a purple backdrop showing a towering castle. The strapline reads The Fairy Godmother of all Pantos.
Thursday 21 December 7pm
CINDERELLA Milton Keynes Theatre
Iconic comedian, TV and musical theatre star Brian Conley leads the cast of Cinderella and makes a triumphant return as Buttons after visiting Milton Keynes Theatre in pantomime in 2017, leaving audiences rolling in the aisles!
Described by Theo Hornsby-Walsh
Image: The image shows the principal characters in costume against a green background with the beanstalk and a castle in the distance. Jonathan smiles as he holds up a green velvet moneybag.
Thursday 21 December 7:30pm
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Regent Theatre Stoke
Join Stoke-on-Trent panto favourite Jonathan Wilkes on a giant adventure this Christmas and climb a beanstalk of gigantic proportions to cloudland in the spectacular family pantomime. With over 50,000 theatregoers attending pantomime at the Regent Theatre each festive season, it’s never too early to book for next year’s show!
Described by Remy Lloyd
Image: The illustration in soft pastel colours shows the boy and penguin afloat on an icy sea in an upturned umbrella.
Saturday 23 December 5pm
LOST AND FOUND Factory International Aviva Studios Manchester
Come along on an epic journey to the South Pole as a boy tries to take a wandering penguin home, in this heart-warming adaptation of Oliver Jeffers’ award-winning children’s story.
Image: The image shows the principal cast in elaborate costumes, against a sparkly blue background. The strapline reads The High Flying Panto Adventure.
Thursday 28 December 7pm
PETER PAN Bristol Hippodrome
Join Peter Pan and the characters you know and love next Christmas in this high-flying pantomime adventure. Leading the cast is renowned British actor and TV detective, David Suchet in the iconic role of Captain Hook. Be part of the panto magic - hook your tickets today!
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: Aston as a robot-like Tin Man stands bravely to the left of this image, with The Vivienne to his left, posing quizzically as the Wicked Witch. She wears a purple fedora hat and a black cape. To the right is The Wizard Of in block gold letters and Oz in sparkly rainbow colours.
Wednesday 3 January 2024 7pm
THE WIZARD OF OZ Liverpool Empire
Direct from The London Palladium, the sensational new production of one of the world’s most beloved musicals comes to Liverpool Empire this Christmas, starring JLS sensation Aston Merrygold as The Tin Man and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner and Dancing on Ice star The Vivienne as The Wicked Witch of the West. This spectacular production of The Wizard of Oz will be a truly magical experience for all the family. Features the iconic original score from the Oscar-winning MGM film including Over The Rainbow, Follow The Yellow Brick Road and We're Off To See The Wizard with additional songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Described by Theo Hornsby-Walsh
Image: The banner image shows the three principal actors in costume with a purple and gold background, the fairytale castle away to the right. The strapline reads The Fairy Godmother of All Pantos.
Thursday 4 January 2024 2pm & 7.15pm
CINDERELLA Bradford Alhambra
You shall go to the ball this Christmas with Bradford panto legend Billy Pearce as the loveable Buttons, Emmerdale star Samantha Giles as the Wicked Stepmother and celebrity baker and Strictly finalist John Whaite as Dandini. The clock is ticking, so book your tickets now.
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The banner image for Six has the title in capital letters to the left, with a gold crown standing in for the dot of the i. To the right the six queens hold mics, singing and throwing shapes, dressed in their colourful, radically-updated mediaeval costumes.
Wednesday 10 January 2024 8pm
SIX Swansea Arena
Reigning on Broadway and in the West End, the international smash hit musical makes its royal return to Leeds, following its previous sell-out success! From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves but their lipstick is rebellious red. Think you know the rhyme, think again… Divorced. Beheaded. LIVE!
Described by Nicola Williams
Image: The image is a close-up photograph of a young woman with brown hair and red lips. She looks anxiously or hopefully through a rain-flecked window.
Saturday 13 January 2024 2.30pm
BRIEF ENCOUNTER Royal Exchange Manchester
In a busy railway station where everyone is simply passing through, Laura and Alec find each other. Falling passionately and wildly in love in a few stolen moments they live and breathe a lifetime of epic emotions, reawakening everything they buried deep inside. Together they find themselves in a bittersweet, hopelessly romantic, elegantly awkward love affair.
A heart-stopping story of forbidden love that moves to the rhythm of beautiful songs, swaying dance moves, the odd cup of tea and a bath bun. Emma Rice’s smash-hit adaptation for stage of Noël Coward’s iconic BRIEF ENCOUNTER is directed by former Royal Exchange Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom. Perfect for all incurable romantics this Christmas.
Described by Anne Hornsby
Image: The banner image for Cinderella reads The Everyman Rock ‘n’ Roll panto. The words are in orange curvy script, the dot in Cinderella formed from a pumpkin. The background is dark blue, with white musical notes and stars, and a silver glitterball.
Thursday 18 January 2024 1.30pm & 7pm
CINDERELLA Liverpool Everyman
With heaps of sass, silliness and sparkle, the Everyman’s awesomely talented actor musicians will bring the classic fairy tale to life in surprising style. Bursting with banging pop and rock tunes, this is a show that will have you singing and dancing along, no matter what your age.
We look forward to welcoming you to an audio described show soon!
