We know this. For many of our readers, pantos are a favourite childhood memory, especially when it comes to festive times. Many of you must have been to children’s Christmas pantomimes (heading to Gaiety with all the fam), and are now looking to do the same for your kids or nephews and nieces.
We have a ‘little-long’ list ready for you so that you can relive your childhoods or simply revel in the child in you!
We have already given you a head start on this one with our article, but we have it here again.
This holiday season, the curtain rises on Ballet Ireland’s Nutcracker Sweeties, a re-telling of one of the world’s favourite Christmas ballets. What can you expect? Expect a magical Christmas Eve. Ciara and her brother Fionn are on a shopping trip to a famous department store in Dublin. They wander off from their parents and the magic of Nutcracker and Christmas begins… What happens next? You will need to book your tickets to find out!
Cork Opera House2022 Panto – Sleeping Beauty. Packed with amazing colour, fantastic costumes, live music, breath-taking dance and tonnes of belly laughs – this production promises to be a magical musical rollercoaster ride for all the family to enjoy this Christmas.
Olly, Polly and the Beanstalk Pantomime, Olympia Theatre, Dublin. You can join Olly, Polly and their dancing Cow in this hilarious ‘Beanstalk Climbing, Roof Raising, Action Packed’ spin on the classic tale of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. This production boasts of a laugh-a-minute script, dazzling dancers and all-star cast.
Not a panto per se, but a little twist of a tour with The Bus That Stole Christmas. You go on a storytelling adventure with fun games through good deeds and bad this November into December at Nutgrove Shopping Centre to ‘Save The Magic of Christmas’. Sounds interesting and fun, doesn’t it?
The Jungle Book, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. Forget about your worries and your strife as you treat yourself to this year’s Gaiety Pantomime, ‘The Jungle Book’. You go on a tropical adventure with Mowgli, the man-child, as he swings and sings his way through this jungle journey. Filled with Panto monkey-business and hiss-sterical shenanigans, you meet all your favourite jungle friends along the way, plus a few familiar animal crackers.
Aladdin, Liberty Hall Theatre, Dublin. Here’s an opportunity to be with ‘Dame Nellie Twankey’, (Jake Carter) as Aladdin, Wishee Washee plus all the Liberty Panto gang in Peking for lots of fun and mayhem as they embark on a panto journey like no other, far across the orient! When Aladdin meets the Princess Jasmine, it’s love at first sight. but an evil magician named ‘Abanazar’ comes calling, and things don’t seem what they are.
Aladdin, National Opera House, Wexford. You can also join this Aladdin and his best friend Bish Bosh who along with his Mammy the Widow Twankey and little sister’s Wishy and Washy are out on a new and exciting Arabian adventure to get rich quick and win the hand of the beautiful Princess Jasmine.
Hansel and Gretel, The Helix, Dublin. Produced as always by TheatreworX Productions, this year’s show ‘Hansel & Gretel’ promises to be as fun, fresh and magical as ever. Creating an exciting new script with plenty of twists, turns and adventure, the panto promises yet another hilarious production for all the family to enjoy.
Sleeping Beauty, Draíocht, Dublin. Coolmine Panto Group will be in Draíocht in January 2023 with Sleeping Beauty a pantomime written by Karl Harper. After missing out in January 2021 & 2022 due to Covid, this promises to be a great return and an amazing show. Don’t let the beauty sleep too long, people. Wake her up by your merry laughter and applause.
Little Red Riding Hood, dlr Mill Theatre, Dublin. With a surprise or three, Mill Productions’ one hour panto is packed with colourful costume, sparkling songs, dazzling dance routines and enough laughs to keep the whole family buzzing.
Snow White, National Stadium, Dublin. You can catch this classic story in a pantomime format this festive season and revel in all the fun, and magic. Isn’t that what happy times are all about?
Peter Pan, Grange Woodbine Club, Dublin. This production is by Dublin Panto and following the success of Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022, the team returns this year with Peter Pan to bring adults and children alike a lot of fun and good times.
Jack and the Beanstalk, Theatre Royal, Waterford. The Waterford Panto Society presents this fun filled panto for a festive December. You’ll get all the usual up-to-date pop songs, laugh-out-loud comedy, slick choreography, sets by Waterford Spraoi, spectacular sound and lighting and a full live band. Book your tickets now!
Beauty and the Beast, Mullingar Arts Centre, Westmeath. Follow Belle and her hilarious comrades Strudel and Minnie as they battle against the mean-spirited Dick Dastardly (and crew) and curse of the evil witch. Are the Beast and his comrades to be loved by all? Find out when you watch the show!
And last but not the least, a note for our dear readers: Keep watching this space for more because we will try and get you lists small and big, of things that you and your family would simply love to explore.