London Pantomime

London Pantomime

by: Spoonfed Holidays

The Spoonfed Theatre Team round-up the best of the London pantomime scene. It's behind you! No wait, it isn't. It's coming up.

We can feel Christmas creeping into the Spoonfed offices. Mince pies and mulled wine are imminent. Till they arrive we'll busy ourselves in an elf-like manner, sorting through the best Christmas events and putting them into some lovely lists for you. The London Theatre scene is embracing the Yuletide with a very British Christmas as usual. And what makes up the heart of a British Christmas? Food – yeah, family – yeah, pantos – oh hell yeah!

So, as one of our many Christmas presents to you, here are Spoonfed's Top Christmas pantos for 2011:

From 19th November
Aladdin @ Lyric Hammersmith
Aladdin might start off as the lowly son of a Chinese laudrette owner in one of the most culturally vacuous takes on 'East meets West' the theatre has ever seen, but he ends up looking pretty bling and taking his audience on a hilarious song-filled ride in this loud, romantic tale of the underdog. 

From 26th November
Cinderella @ Hackney Empire
Hackney Empire consistently win out in the London Panto stakes, and those be some high stakes indeed. Expect the sparkliest glass slipper, the ugliest sisters and the most horrendous evil step-mother. 

From  3rd December
The Enormous Turnip @ Jacksons Lane Theatre
The adorable Mr and Mrs Chickweed (really adorable, think the Fredricksens from Up) are retiring from vegetable growing but they can't help planting one last seed which soon turns into a giant Turnip that theatreans to demolish their little house. Stuff and Nonsense theatre company bring their trademark puppetry and music as they set about trying to shift the massive turnip. 

From 3rd December
Cinderella @ Theatre Royal Stratford East
Few shows can boast three pantomime dames, but Theatre Royal Stratford East have a tendency to go all out. This year they present something for the the feistier kids who really like to make an occasion of Christmas. 

From 9th December
Dick Whittington @ New Wimbledon Theatre
Possums! Unbelievably, this is Dame Edna Everage's pantomime debut. She stars alongside Sam Attwater, the Dancing on Ice champion and someone called Anna Williamson who your kids will recognise from Nickelodeon. 

From 9th December
Beowulf The Panto! @ The Rosemary Branch
If there's anything that needs a Christmas makeover, it's the much studied Anglo-Saxon epic that is Beowulf. The legendary Charles Court Opera presents “a bladderful of characters in a maelstrom bad jokes” and promises excruciatingly embarrassing audience participation. 

From 9th December
Cinderella @ Richmond Theatre
Jenny Eclair and Gary Wilmot star in this classic take on love at first sight in an age of magic, romance and very glittery dresses. 

From 10th December
The Lazy Elf @ Arts Theatre
Always interactive, the Christmas show at Arts Theatre invites audiences into Santa's house where a very lazy elf is doing everything he can to avoid making toys for the world's children. But Mr and Mrs Claus have a thing or two to teach them and they need your help too. 


Alternatively...

From 10th December
Beasts and Beauties @ Hampstead Theatre
Simple and stunning, this Christmas show full of stories retold by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy is dramatised by Tim Supple and Melly Still. 

From 28th November
Howl's Moving Castle @ Southwark Playhouse
For the best melding of wizards, witches and castles, this highly anticipated, delicate live action story (not a pantomime) features original music by Fyfe Dangerfield of Guillemots. The story follows Sophie who finds shelter in the moving castle of a flamboyant wizard after she angers the Witch of the Waste.
 

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Spoonfed Holidays