The ultimate Christmas show guide 2022

PANTOS 

1 Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs – New Wimbledon Theatre, 3-31 Dec 

West End Legend Ruthie Henshall, X Factor singer and television personality Brenda Edwards, musical theatre star Lee Mead, legendary panto Dame and TV presenter Matthew Kelly, comedy duo Dick & Dom, Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist John Archer and TikTok sensation Hannah Lowther join forces to lead this musical sensation of the year. You’ll be in for a treat! 

2 Sleeping Beauty – Colour House Theatre, 19 Nov – 31 Dec 

Come on a magical journey in this enchanting musical fairytale for everyone aged 3-103! The King and Queen celebrate the birth of their beautiful baby Princess Aurora, but the jealous Green Fairy casts a wicked spell: when the girl reaches 16 years of age, she will prick her finger on a spindle and die… Will the Prince save the day? 

3 Cinderella – OSO Arts Centre, 7-21 Dec 

Prepare for an enchanting twist on the nation’s favourite fairytale, with the twist of ‘What if…?’ and some miscommunication in handling public relations! 

4 Dick Whittington – Epsom Playhouse, 15 Dec – 8 Jan 

Join Dick Whittington in his search for fame and fortune. Follow Dick, his loyal cat and various characters he meets, on his way to becoming Mayor of London. A colourful, musical adventure for the whole family! 

5 Cinderella, Lantern Arts Centre, 7-11 Dec 

A charming, hyper-local production of Cinderella is filled with songs, laughs and mirth! Head to the ball and see all-dancing, all-singing, diverse cast as they turn pumpkins into carriages, run against the clock striking midnight and try to win the heart of one true love… 

6 Goldilocks and the Three Bears – Richmond Theatre, 3-31 Dec 

Enter a world of wonder as you are swept away by this pantomime spectacular packed with riotous comedy, extraordinary special effects and amazing circus acts. Goldilocks’ circus is under threat from an evil rival owner – will she and her friends manage to save it? All seems lost until certain three bears join the gang… 

7 Little Red Robin Hood – Battersea Arts Centre, 6 Dec – 8 Jan 

Why not opt for two fairytales instead of one? Help the two Hoods to defeat the Sheriff, find the Grandma and discover their true destiny… 

8 The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook – Fairfield Halls, 10-31 Dec 

A swashbuckling family adventure, Peter Pan – The Return of Captain Hook has a star-studded cast headed up by EastEnders bad boy Ricky Champ as Captain Hook and Gemma Hunt as Tinker Bell. Joining them are CBBC and Crackerjack’s Mark Rhodes as Smee and Channel 5 Milkshake! presenter David Ribi as Peter Pan. 

9 Guardians of the Pantoverse – Hampton Hill Theatre, 3-11 Dec 

Join the cast of this very special panto as they journey through the story to release all the characters who have been trapped in King Rat’s evil video game! 

10 Cinderella – Dorking Halls, 17-28 Dec 

Get ready to have a ball at this classic of a pantomime in Dorking! Step through the doors of an enchanted carriage, see how mice turn into horses and root for the Prince as he’s looking for the one who stole his heart… 

11 Jack and the Beanstalk – Lyric Hammersmith, 19 Nov – 7 Jan 

Join Jack, her mum and pals for an unforgettable night at Lyric Hammersmith. A soaring (literally!) adventure awaits filled with beanstalk climbing, singing cows, Beyoncé and skateboarding. Possibly the coolest panto in town.  

12 Jonny Feathers The Rock and Roll Pigeon – Riverside Studios, 7 Dec – 8 Jan 

Join Jonny and his friends on their journey to find his guitar right before his big gig in Camden Town. On the way you’ll be helped by Vicky the Vixen, Bale the Snail and Basher the Badger. A heart-warming and humorous show with brilliant original new songs that celebrate the power of friendship, unity and helping each other. 

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS SHOWS

1 The Nosy Little Troll – Omnibus Theatre, 3-4 & 10-11 Dec 

This warm-hearted Scandanavian story will have young audiences in awe of wonderful storytelling, amazing puppetry and audience participation galore – and possibly spark their interest in nature and tree planting, and environmentalism… 

2 Crackers: A Festive Family Farce – Polka Theatre, 19 Nov – 15 Jan 

Join the Crackers in their quest to get ready for Christmas Day. The family pet shop is going out of business, Napoleon the rat is on the loose and there’s still so much to do. Visit Polka this festive season for a brilliant family farce, written by award-winning playwright Charles Way. Recommended for ages 5-12. 

3 Circus 1903 – Eventim Apollo, 15 Dec – 1 Jan  

Strong men, contortionists, acrobats and much more – watch in awe as Circus 1903 transports you and your family to the mesmerising Golden Age of circus. 

4 Scroogelicious, Theatre Peckham, 1-23 Dec 

Christmas is a coming, but one man isn’t happy
Mention of the word makes him irritable and snappy
He’s all about his wealth, you see, and from his lofty station…
His vision for ol’ Peckham, is pure gentrification… 

We’ll leave you with this. A Christmas Carol like you’ve never seen before.

5 Alice In Wonderland – Brixton House, 1-31 Dec 

Immerse yourself in the unique theatre space of Brixton House as it gets transformed into a familiar Tube station. Brixton House and multi-award-winning company Poltergeist have joined forces to bring forward a brand-new production of Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice in Wonderland, that weaves together rap, storytelling, and comic book visuals. 

6 Holy Sh*t – Riverside Studios, 6-17 Dec 

A new dark comedy from Brick Fox Theatre Company, Holy Sh*t digs up six feet deep questions surrounding fate and mortality. Two priests realise that all hope is not lost, and that there is still a way to save their underfunded and dwindling church – through the graveyard, and more precisely, selling the one resource they are in abundance of: dead bodies.  

7 NEWSIES – Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, from 28 Nov 2022 

Newsies is a Tony Award-winning musical based on a true story that follows a group of teenaged newsboys who choose to fight for their rights against the powerful publishing tycoon. With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman and Harvey Fierstein, this exhilarating tale of young dreamers fighting for justice will have its UK premiere at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. Directed by Olivier nominee Matt Cole. 

8 Arms and the Man – Orange Tree Theatre, 19 Nov – 14 Jan 

Head to Richmond for an unusual Christmas show – Bernard Show’s classic comedy Arms and the Man, on the futility of wars and idealistic attitudes. Paul Miller directs in his last show for the Orange Tree.  

9 Nutcracker – Royal Albert Hall, 28-31 Dec 

Is it even Christmas without The Nutcracker? The world-class dancers of Birmingham Royal Ballet bring to the Royal Albert Hall what is certain to be a sparkling festive treat for audiences of all ages.  

10 Horrible Christmas – Barbican, 27-30 

A Christmas story but everything goes wrong! When Christmas comes under threat from a strange jolly man dressed in red, it’s up to one boy to save the day. 

11 A Christmas Carol – Rose Theatre, 2 Dec – 2 Jan 

The richest woman in town, Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas. A brand-new retelling of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic. Come join the magic and wonder of the Christmas season rooted in charity, generosity and the spirit of forgiveness in a heart-warming tale of self-discovery. 

12 ELF, Dominion Theatre, 14 Nov 2022 – 7 January 2023 

Smash-hit musical, based on the cult classic film with Will Ferrell, is back in London! A heartwarming story of one man’s hilarious journey to find his true identity. Buddy, mistakenly raised as an elf at the North Pole, discovers he’s actually a human and heads to New York to seek out his biological father – and help the city remember the true meaning of Christmas…