ben_haines_london

If you are in London in December you might like to try the knockabout farce of the pantomime. The playwright takes an old tale, and stages it according to outrageous traditions. The male lead is a woman. The female comic lead is a man. The audience take a big part, hiss the villain, and tell the heron where the villain is. There is a transformation scene before your very eyes. The best way in London is to choose a show, phone, and book a performance about two in the afternoon. Over the phone, too, you should ask where to find lunch, perhaps in a pub, perhaps in the theatre buffet, and how to get ton the theatre by tube. I used a helpful but incomplete web site, http://www.bigpantoguide.co.uk/london.php, and added three shows.

From Trafalgar Square theatres lie thus. A tube travel card covers local trains and busses, too: most pantomimes lie in zones 1 and 2, at 4 pounds a day
North: Zoo, Islington, Jackson’s Lane, Millfield, Cockfosters
East: Hackney, Stratford
South East: Waterloo, Greenwich, Catford
South: Norwood
South West: Wimbledon, Richmond
West: Hayes

Jack and the Beanstalk
Millfield Theatre
Edmonton, London, N18
Northern line
1st Dec 2005 to 8th Jan 2006
Favourite tale of Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum, Jack and his magic beans.
Website http://www.millfieldtheatre.co.uk/

Dick Whittington
Northern Line
London Zoo
Regents Park, London
23rd Dec 2005 to 4th Jan 2006
Classic rags to riches story comes to London Zoo for the first time.
Website http://www.pantoatthezoo.co.uk/

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Broadway Theatre Catford
Catford Broadway Catford SE6 4RU
By train from London Bridge and Blackfriars
16th Dec 2005 to 8th Jan 2006
Favourite panto tale of banished princess helped by seven short persons.
Website http://www.broadwaytheatre.org.uk/

Jack and the Beanstalk
Hackney Empire
291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ
In East londfon,. Go by bus
2nd Dec 2005 to 7th Jan 2006
The story of hapless Jack, the magic beans, the castle in the clouds, the golden hen, singing harp and Jack’s encounter with Giant.
Website http://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/

Cinderella
New Wimbledon Theatre
The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1QG
By District Line or by train from Waterloo
9th Dec 2005 to 15th Jan 2006
All star cast including Susan Hampshire (Monarch of the Glen, The Forsyte Saga), Richard Wilson (One Foot In The Grave, Naomi Wilkinson (5s Milkshake), John Barrowman (Dr Who) and Peter Duncan.
Website http://www.theambassadors.com/newwimbledon/

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The Rayne Theatre
By Northern Line to Cockfosters
5th Dec 2005 to 4th Jan 2006
Adaption of Lewis Carroll's Alice books done in Chicken Shed's unique style.
Website http://www.chickenshed.org.uk/

Pinocchio
Theatre Royal Stratford East
Gerry Raffles Square, Stratford, London, E15 1BN
By Central Line
29th Nov 2005 to 21st Jan 2006
The story of Pinocchio, the puppet who wants to be a boy told in music and songs.
Website http://www.stratfordeast.com/

Aladdin
Beck Theatre
Grange Road, Hayes, UB3 2UE
By train from Paddington to Hayes and Harlington.
14th Dec 2005 to 14th Jan 2006
Classic Arabian Nights tale.
Website http://www.getlive.co.uk/venues/venue.aspx?vrid=1125

Snow White goes to Kitchville
Jackson's Lane
269a Archway Road, London, N6 5AA
By Northern Line to Highgate
20th Dec 2005 to 1st Jan 2006
Snow White in a 1950's setting.
Website http://www.jacksonslane.org.uk/

The Sleeping Beauty
South London Theatre
2a Norwood High Street, London SE27 9NS
From Victoria and London Bridge to West Norwood
5th Jan 2006 to 14th Jan 2006
King Cedric and Queen Semolina of Entertania have organised a big Christening bash for their baby daughter. All goes well until the Evil Carabosse turns up, a little miffed that she has not been invited. She puts a curse
Website http://www.southlondontheatre.co.uk/

Aladdin - a new pantomime!
Pleasance Theatre, Islington
Northern Line
Carpenter's Mews, North Road, London N7 9EF
29th Nov 2005 to 8th Jan 2006
In this magical new production, Aladdin and Matt the Remote Controlled Magic Carpet have to overcome hilarious obstacles, solve fiendish puzzles and thwart the evil Abanazer! Features Nigel Planer as the Virtual Genie. Box Office: 020 7609 1800.
Website http://www.pleasance.co.uk/

Aladdin
Old Vic, The Cut, Waterloo
0870 060 6628
7th Dec to 22nd Jan
With Ian McKellen
Website http://www.oldvictheatre.com/

Aladdin
Greenwich Theatre
By train from London Bridge and Charing Cross
020 8858 7755
5th December to 7th January
A hilarious traditional pantomime, complete with glittering costumes, ingenious wizardry and an outrageous dame, is guaranteed to welcome in the Christmas season in style
Website http://www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/

Aladdin
Richmond Theatre
By District Line or by train from Waterloo
0870 060 6651
8th to 16th December
With Simon Callow
Website http://www.richmondtheatre.net/

Welcome to London

Ben Haines
[email protected]

Sarvowinner

Thanks for this Ben - We are deliberating between a panto or the "theatre". This will really help. By the way my maiden name is Haines so I always follow your posts.

PatrickLondon

By a strange coincidence, this article had me laughing out loud on the bus this morning:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/featu...653905,00.html

sprin2

And pantos aren't limited to London, almost every UK town's theater group (big and small) performs them over the holidays. Sometimes you'll even catch a celebrity performing. Many regular productions close down over the holidays so the actors can perform in pantos. Last year at the lesser of the York pantos we saw an actor that we now routinely see on US tv. We highly recommend the rock and roll pantomime at the Clwyd Theatr in Mold, Wales -- it is Dick Wittington this year.

janisj

<i>We are deliberating between a panto or the &quot;theatre&quot;</i>

Why are you having to choose. If you are in London more than one night you can easily do both. Definitely take in a panto, and definitely go to a great play or musical.

Sarvowinner

Janisj
Both would be great but we are only in London for two nights sandwiched betwen two overnight flights (YYX-LHR and LHR-DAR) so we may need one night of downtime plus DH is a chef so we wanted to have one slap up meal somewhere which brings me to my next question - Good restaurants not too OTT in terms of cost that will be open between on Dec 29 &amp; 30th?

JudyC

Many thanks for the list.

May I add what great fun it is to attend the pantomime? Even the most jaded theatregoer would find the enthusiasm and laughter of the audience (mainly small childen in their holiday best and their elderly relateives) engaging.

Perhaps it would be nice to go couple hours earlier, besides the show, it is also a good chance to see some London boroughs rerely visited by tourists, as most theatres are on high street, once I even found a Christmas market in Bromley South.