Christmas with the kids simply isn't complete without a trip to see the panto.
For families across Ireland, it's a chance to step away from the Xmas madness and cheer the goodies, boo the baddies, and enjoy drag queens in a comfortable environment. For many children, it's their first experience of a live performance. At its finest - and make no mistake, panto is an art form, and a tricky one at that - its a truly magical experience. Here are a quintet of noteworthy productions (with a selection box of additional options) for your delectation. Spoiler Alert: They all end happily ever after.
Belfast - Beauty & The Beast
Where? The Lyric Theatre, until January 6th - details here.
Belfast is one of the great panto cities, and in recent years the Lyric Theatre has made a point of staging a lively alternative to the usual traditional panto fare. This time out, they've enlisted acclaimed Belfast musical maven Paul Boyd and local songwriter Katie Richardson for a phantasmagorical rock opera take on Beauty & The Beast that gives the classic fairytale a more contemporary spin, more Bat Out Of Hell than Disney princess. Elsewhere, the Opera House will make you believe a boy can fly in Peter Pan, the MAC are presenting Hansel & Gretel, and even the gigantic Odyssey Arena are getting in the panto game with The Spectacular Aladdin, featuring X-Factor star Rhydian Roberts.
Cork - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Where? The Cork Opera House, until Sunday, 21 Jan 2018 - more details here.
The popular creative team, led by director Trevor Ryan, that brought Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella to the Opera House (where last year's production was seen by some 58,000 people) returns with one of the most beloved fairytales of them all - we're promised magnificent scenery, costumes, live music, spectacular dance routines, comedy capers and the magical special effects you’ve come to know and love, along with seven friendly and funny dwarfs, a magical mirror, a handsome Prince, a beautiful Princess, hilarious comedy capers from Nanny Nellie and Muddles and plenty of audience participation as our heroes try to outsmart the Wicked Queen Sadista. What else do you want from a Christmas panto?
Dublin - Rapunzel
Where? The Gaiety, until 21st January 2018 - more details here.
Dublin certainly isn't short of panto options, but you truly can't go wrong with the capital's panto palace of choice since 1873 (!) - back in the day, The Gaiety played host to panto legends like Maureen Potter, and that proud tradition continues with venerable panto dame Joe Conlan, celebrating his 28th season reading the capital's boards in the Gaiety's production of Rapunzel. Tickets are already flying out the door - the Sold Out sign is regularly on display - so those seeking an alternative might pop up to The Tivoli, where the Cheerios panto is celebrating its tenth year with Alan Hughes and Mary Byrne in Sleeping Beauty, or over to The Olympia, where Mrs. Brown's Rory Cowan has stepped in for Al Porter in Polly and the Beanstalk.
Limerick - Cinderella
Where? University Concert Hall, until January 7th - more details here.
This year's ever-popular SPAR Panto at the LCH comes complete with proper star power, in the shape of million-selling (5 million-selling, to be more specific) pop star Samantha Mumba, who will spend her Christmas being booed off stage in the role of Cinderella's evil Stepmother. Joining Samantha for his panto debut is Dayl Cronin, Dancing With The Stars semi-finalist and former member of Irish boyband Hometown, who will star as Prince Charming to Hayley-Jo Murphy's Cinders. MVP as ever is Ireland's finest panto dame, the incomparable Myles Breen, playing one of the ugly stepsisters.
Touring - Beauty and the Beast
Where? The TLT in Drogheda, The National Opera House in Wexford and the INEC in Killarney, on tour until 4th January - details here.
Producer Robert C. Kelly is keeping busy this season - not only is he the man behind Cinderella in Limerick, he's bringing Ireland's first professional touring panto production to a trio of venues across the country, in Drogheda, Wexford and Killarney, with a cast that includes comedian and Celebrity Operation Transformation legend Karl Spain, Red Rock star Adam Weafer and RTÉjr's own Clara Murray.
