It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And we can say with confidence, that it isn’t the Festival Fringe.
That’s right folks, it’s Panto-season!
Strap on those hooks, dig out the britches and slap on some lippy – as some of your favourite Panto baddies and dames return for another slice of the nation’s favourite festive treat. Below is a small sampling of our top picks available across Scotland. We’ll be presenting an alternative and an Edinburgh-specific list of shows in the coming days.
Last year we covered twenty-five pantomimes and Christmas shows across Scotland. And this year the team is looking to increase our coverage. From the Borders, right up to the Highlands and Islands, Scotland’s long tradition of Pantomime and festive shows continues well into 2024.
With many productions offering tickets from as little as £8.00, almost all the shows have a form of availability for all – including several relaxed, signed, touch tours, and captioned performances. For additional information relating to these shows, please get in touch with venues directly.
Cinderella
The land of Fantasia is in trouble… again! Shocking.
But this time, it seems that Cinderella’s dreams run the risk of dancing too close to the flame, and while dreaming of her charming price, it’ll take much more than a new pair of snazzy heels to get her out of this situation.
Can our resident Fairy Godmother (the one and only Alan Steele) help Cinderella and her theatrical pals to return to the spotlight, and bring s sense of sisterhood to a wicked, joyful, new stage? Featuring a stellar Bard in the Botanics cast of Eimi Quinn, Stephanie McGregor, James Boal, the villainous and sharp-footed evil Stephen Arden as the evil stepmother, and Tinashe Warikandwa as Cinders.
A showbiz production like no other, the show must go on: expect plenty of singing, dancing, hilarious gags, and plenty of fun and merriment for the entire audience.
November 30th – December 31st
Captioned Performance – Saturday 9th December, 14.00pm
Relaxed Performance – Tuesday 12th December, 19.00pm
Audio-described Performance – Saturday 16th December, 14.00pm
The Byre Theatre – Abbey Street, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LA
Tickets from £17.00
Meet the main lad… Aladdin!
He’s a fan of potholing, which makes him the ire of certain folk…
But he’s also everyone’s pal, well, except the greedy and mean Abigail McKrankie, who’s just cancelled the contract Aladdin and his maw, Widow McTwankie, have had on their mobile laundry business. As McKrankie looks to make a quick buck and claim the title of The Countess of Killiekrankie, Aladdin and his family look to stop this fiendish madame as they get in a spin to keep the laundry business going.
Starring Barry Hunter, Tiger Mitchell, and Helen Logan, Meet plenty of pals along the way at Perth Theatre’s pantomime Aladdin. Stuffed with new faces, familiar favourites, chainsaws and giant red squirrels, everything will come out in the wash with this year’s festive show!
December 1st – 31st
Audio described and BSL interpreted performance – Saturday 23rd Dec, 13:00pm
Relaxed performances – Sunday 10th Dec, 13:00pm & Thursday 28 Dec, 14:00pm
Perth Theatre, Mill St, Perth PH1 5HZ
Tickets from £18.00
As the rest of Scotland is decking their halls, tugging on the tinsel, and looking at a fine pair of baubles, it isn’t the same story for one place: Dickensian Street.
Home to the frightful Aganeza Scrooge, the meanest and scariest of skinflints in the pantosphere: a woman so tight she makes us Fifers look generous. She hates spending money, but more than that, she HATES Christmas.
But this year, that’ll be the one where Aganeza succeeds in putting an end to Christmas. No more ridiculous jumpers, of pestering festive cheer; and don’t even get her started on those ghosts of panto past, present, and future.
A wild, unforgettable spin on Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol, this hilarious family show will have you singing in the aisles and dancing in your seats.
November 29th – January 7th
Audio-described Performance – Saturday 6th December, 19.00pm & Saturday 16th December 14:00pm
BSL interpreted performance – Friday 8th December, 19:00pm & Saturday 9th December, 14:00pm
Relaxed performances – Sunday 19th Dec, 13:00pm & 19:00pm
Tron Theatre – 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB
Tickets from £17.50
One of Fife’s most beloved and entertaining Pantomime venues, the Alhambra Theatre, continues from its huge success with last year’s Beauty and the Beast and brings audiences into Oz with The Wizard of Oz!
Once more staring panto legend Ian ‘Sheepie’ Smith with an all-star cast, expect dazzling sets and visuals, with plenty of colour, merriment, laughter, and a yellow brick or two…
Join audiences for a trip to Oz, for a hilarious and communal show which makes you realise there’s no place like home.
December 7th – 28th
Relaxed performances – Tuesday 12th December, 19:00pm
Alhambra Theatre, 33 – 35 Canmore Street, Dunfermline, KY16 7NX
Tickets: from £15.00 (Preview), £22.50
The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan
Our first Panto stop on the Corr Blimey Panto tour, The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan opens at the Festival Theatre on November 25th. And whilst the usual Edinburgh pantomime would happen at the King’s, Allan Stewart (featuring their 25th panto appearance), Grant Stott, Jordan Young, Clare Gray, and the whole gang have turned the sister venue into their new home for the time being!
Featuring the street dance collection Flawless, with three Edinburgh local performers – Rebecca Stenhouse as Tinkerbell, Robyn Whyte as Wendy, and Kieran Lynch as Peter Pan.
With some dazzling special effects, join Peter Pan as audiences set sail for a new adventure for the Christmas season. A whole ship full of laughs, stunning sets, gorgeous costumes, and a series of magical effects, the whole family are in for a swash-buckling trip to Neverland like never before.
November 25th – December 31st
Relaxed Performances – Friday 1st December, 14:o0pm
Audio-described, Signed and Tour Tour – Saturday 9th December 14:00pm & Friday 15th December 19:00pm
19:00pmTickets from £20.00
A deep winter is heading for Arbroath, as Charming Entertainment presents Freezin! At The Webster Theatre this festive season!
Everything seems fine for sisters Queen Ellie and Princess Honour who live in the village in Snowydale, when one day, the wicked Jack Frost curses the Queen. In a rage, it causes her to turn all around her into snow and ice. With the guidance of a magical fairy, the Queen’s new ice powers will help ensure that Jack Frost does not reign supreme.
Providing some warming cheer through all of this, Silly Snowy provides fun, laughter, and panto madness for the entire family. With some sparkling set pieces and costumes, get ready to let it snow this Christmas.
December 8th – 24th and December 27th – January 6, 2024 (Trivoli, Aberdeen)
The Webster Memorial Theatre, Arbroath, DD11 1AW
The Tivoli Theatre Company Ltd, 34 – 48 Guild Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6NB
Tickets from £12.00
If you think you’ve had a rough day, spare a thought for poor ol’ Snow White. Not only has her dad just gone and remarried – but he has the audacity to go and die too! How rude.
With her trusty nanny – Hedda Lettuce – Snow White is now stuck at the palace with an absolute melt who only wants to be known as her ‘Wicked Stepmother’. A woman so vain, so egotistical, she spends most of the day chattering to her mirror. However, when the mirror tells the Wicked Stepmother that Snow White is the prettiest in the land, well it all goes a bit pear-shaped….
Will Snow White’s heart end up in next week’s pie mix? Will the Wicked Stepmother manage to legally change their name? And what’s up with the second half of the title, who ARE the Seven Maws?
Well folks, the answer lies at the one and only Òran Mór…
November 28th – January 6th
Òran Mór, Top of Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8QX
Tickets: £22.50
How about Christmas under the sea?
Well – Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy – has you covered.
Join Princess Azurial, the little mermaid, on their quest to finally meet the handsome Price with whom she has fallen madly in love with. But it’s never that simple, as the evil Auntie Augusta’s wicked plan to take over the underwater kingdom is in full swing, looking to reign Tritonia with a miserable tentacle or two…
A fin-tastic adventurous pantomime for all, this enthralling twist is a nice departure from the other pantos around Scotland firmly rooted on dry land. With fabulous sets and costumes set to cause waves, wonderful songs and some great comedy, the traditional panto is alive in Kirkcaldy, as the Little Mermaid takes audiences for a magical underwater extravaganza.
December 9th – January 6th
Relaxed performances – Wednesday 3rd January, 14:00pm
Adam Smith Theatre, Bennochy Road, Kirkcaldy,
Tickets from £7.00 (Preview)
It seems Prince Charming has plenty of slippers to pick from this year, as Cinderella continues to be the most popular fairytale in the land.
Giving it their all and whisking audiences away to a land of fairy godmothers, charming princes, and enchantment! Lochaber Showstoppers proudly presents a modern twist on the timeless classic, Cinderella, at the Nevis Centre.
This isn’t just a show; it’s an unforgettable experience for the entire family! Like their previous shows, the productions always sell out – so don’t wait until midnight, or you’ll look a right pumpkin…
December 13th – 16th
The Nevis Centre, Fort William, PH33 6AN
Tickets from £12.00
A spellbinding Panto like no other, join audiences for the magical family-friendly pantomime of Sleeping Beauty at Eden Court this Christmas.
When the cruellest of panto baddies, Carabosse, casts an evil curse which causes the princess to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into an enchanted sleep, can anyone rescue her from the magical slumber before it is too late?
Expect the unexpected, the familiar, and the fantastical from Eden Court with hilarious comedy, an outrageous dame, a delightfully wicked baddie, marvellous musical numbers, and lashings of classic slapstick fun.
Get your tickets now for what will be the most spellbinding pantomime in the Highlands this festive season!
December 6th – January 7th
Relaxed Performances – Wednesday 13 December, 13:30pm & Thursday 4th January 19:00pm
Tour Tour – Saturday 16th December 12:00pm
Audio-described Performance – Saturday 16th December 13:00pm
CaptionedPerformance – Sunday 17th December 13:00pm
Signed Performances – Saturday 16th December 13:00pm & Wednesday 27th December 19:00pm
Eden Court, Bishop’s Road, Inverness IV3 5SA
Tickets from £12.50
Interested in being featured? With many previews and Q&As lined up, we’re always happy to chat about including your show in future articles. Please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming ‘Have A Gander’