Pantomimes run into January across Nottingham, Liverpool and London

Pantomimes are continuing well into January at a number of UK venues, including Nottingham Playhouse, Liverpool’s Royal Court and Everyman, Theatr Clwyd in Mold, and Brick Lane Music Hall in east London. Nottingham Playhouse’s Sleeping Beauty runs until 17 January and is available on demand until the final performance.

John Elkington, who has been Nottingham’s dame for almost 30 years, said January audiences provide “one more treat after Christmas”; the run attracts about 40,000 people a year, and the company reduces performances to six a week in January from 12 before Christmas. The venue also offers relaxed and access performances in the quieter weeks, and the panto’s notorious last-night antics have brought back audiences for repeat visits.

At Liverpool’s Royal Court, The Scouse Christmas Carol opened on 7 November and has been extended to run until 24 January because of demand. The show’s executive producer and writer is Kevin Fearon, with Mark Chatterton directing, and the venue’s dining-in-stalls option is especially popular.

The Royal Court estimates around £1.4m in ticket sales plus food and drink from the panto, which the theatre says accounts for more than half of its annual ticket income, and the team plans the next season’s title within weeks of closing. Brick Lane Music Hall is taking a different approach, opening Jack and His Giant Stalk from 22 January to 7 March as a “pantomime for grownups” written and directed by Lucy Hayes.

Key Topics

Culture, Pantomime, Nottingham Playhouse, Royal Court, John Elkington, Sleeping Beauty