Christmas pantomimes 2017: The best pantos to see in London this festive season

It’s that time again (oh yes it is!). Christmas is only five weekends away, which means the year 2017? It’s (almost) behind you!

How to celebrate to forthcoming festive season? There’s nothing more traditional for a good night out than a classic pantomime, and the good news is there’s plenty of offer for audiences this Yuletide.

Before our bad panto puns see us banished to the back end of a donkey costume for the rest of our days, here’s a guide to the best pantos to catch in London this festive season.

Peter Pan

Not for the faint-hearted, this is super-sized panto for panto superfans. Proudly calling itself the world’s biggest panto, this arena spectacular will be full of bells and whistles from a life-sized Jolly Roger to a drone playing Tinkerbell. It stars Bradley Walsh and Martin Kemp and it only on for two days, so don’t miss it.

December 29-30, SSE Wembley Arena

Cinderella

Don’t miss everyone’s favourite rags to riches tale - head to Hackney if you want to go to the ball. Susie McKenna’s production at Hackney Empire is bound to be loads of fun, and after all, everyone loves an underdog story.

November 18 - December 31, Hackney Empire; hackneyempire.co.uk

Jack and the Beanstalk

There ain’t no panto like a Lyric Hammersmith panto and this year looks to be no different, with a Christmas cracker of a show written by Secret Theatre writer Joel Horwood. Load up on magic beans and enjoy the ride on what the Lyric promises will be its biggest panto ever.

November 18 - January 6, Lyric Hammersmith; lyric.co.uk

Rapunzel

Celebrate the festive season with the only woman not bothered about keeping regular hair appointments. Stratford East’s panto will be full of original music and audience participation, so let your hair down and head east.

November 27 - January 13, Theatre Royal Stratford East; stratfordeast.com

Puss in Boots

The cat’s out of the bag - Hoxton Hall are feline fine about this year’s festivities with a classic family offering. A family of four can see the show for a special offer of £49 (two adults and two children).

December 13-28, Hoxton Hall; hoxtonhall.co.uk

Jack and the Beanstalk

Who has the biggest beanstalk, the Lyric or New Wimbledon Theatre? There’s another Jack in town and he’s in South West London. Two casting coups lead the show: Al Murray and Olivier award winner Clive Rowe.

December 9 - January 14, New Wimbledon Theatre

Aladdin

All aboard the magic carpet to Richmond - this year’s panto at the Richmond Theatre stars Christopher Biggins and Count Arthur Strong, promising some good-old fashioned festive fun.

December 9 - January 14, Richmond Theatre

Dick Whittington

The Palladium knows how to put on a good panto - after last year’s glitzy Cinderella comes a major production of Dick Whittington. Julian Clary and Elaine Paige star alongside Half A Sixpence’s breakout star Charlie Stemp.

Buy tickets for Dick Whittington with Evening Standard Theatre Tickets

From December 9, London Palladium