As the Christmas season draws nearer, a number of plays and pantomimes aim to provide family-friendly entertainment . Many of these are adapted from, or inspired by, fairy tales and other classic stories. This is because these tales are familiar enough to appeal to both adults and children, and provide the escapism which is essential during the cold winter nights.
Listed below are 15 plays and pantomimes which will be performed in London theatres throughout the month of December.
(Ends 7th January)
Pantomimes are a major Christmas tradition in Britain. These comedic retellings of classic stories make heavy use of comedy, music, topical references and audience interactions, and have been popular for centuries, assuming their present form during the Victorian era. This year, there are several major pantomimes in the London suburbs alone.
One of these is the version of Aladdin which is being performed at the Lyric Hammersmith. The story is familiar but appealing, as Aladdin, from the poor borough of FulHammerBoosh, falls for Jasmine, the daughter of Emperor One Per Cent. James Doherty plays the classic pantomime dame Widow Twankey (once played on stage by Sir Ian McKellen) and Vikki Stone plays the evil sorcerer, Abanazer. There are numerous references to the political issues which have defined 2016 (such as Brexit), and plenty of the manic energy which defines the pantomime genre. Overall, this version of Aladdin promises to blend its traditional source material with a modern and subversive edge..
(Ends 31st December)
It's widely accepted that villains tend to be the most interesting characters in fairy tales and Disney films, as their uninhibited, flamboyant nature provides an entertaining contrast to the overly idealised protagonists. The important role of villains in making a fairy tale stand out is highlighted in Baddies: The Musical. This tells the story of what happens when The Big Bad Wolf, The Ugly Stepsisters, Captain Hook and Rumpelstiltskin are sent to jail for their scheming ways.
Since Wicked premiered in the West End in 2006, there has been an increasing demand for versions of fairy tales centered around the villains, with the film Maleficent and the TV movie Descendants both enjoying significant success. Baddies: The Musical looks like another creative addition to this growing sub-genre, combining interesting observations about why every fairy tale needs a great villain with plenty of music and comedy.
(Runs 10th December - 15th January)
At the end of the 19th century, Pantomimes were so popular that the biggest theatres in the West End would put one on during the Christmas season. The tradition of the West End Pantomime is being revived at the London Palladium, which is putting on a version of Cinderella.
Many pantomimes rely on a few celebrity cast members to attract older audiences, but this production has a particularly star-studded line-up, including Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden (playing The Fairy Godmother), TV Presenter Paul O'Grady (in drag as the Wicked Stepmother), and ventriloquist Paul Zerdin (in the role of Cinderella's friend Buttons). It seems like a larger venue will encourage increased spectacle, colour and audience interaction, and the London Palladium version of Cinderella certainly looks able to take advantage of this.
(Runs 9th December-15th January)
Dick Whittington is a British folk story based on a notable historical figure. In real life, Dick Whittington was a merchant in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, who became Mayor of London three times. His influence and wealth inspired a legend telling the story of how Dick gained his fortune through his tenacity, hard work, and the rat-catching abilities of his cat.
The pantomime based on the Dick Whittington legend has been performed since the 19th century, and there are several versions being performed in and around London this year. Probably the most notable of these is the one being staged at the New Wimbledon Theatre. The New Wimbledon Theatre version of Dick Whittington features Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips as Dick's fairy godmother, Fairy Bowbells, with actor and TV presenter Matthew Kelly and comedian Tim Vine playing side characters. The popularity of Dick Whittington as a pantomime subject is testament to the genre's status as a primarily British form of theatre.
(Ends 22nd January)
The Little Match Girl is based on the Hans Christian Andersen story about a girl freezing to death on the streets during New Years Eve. In spite of the miserable subject matter, Andersen's signature beautiful writing has made it into a very popular Christmas story. As the source material is too short for a 100-minute play, director Emma Rice and writer Joel Horwood have decided to add other fairy tales to get the play to full-length, using The Little Match Girl as a frame story.
The "Happier Tales" which are incorporated into the storyline are three of Andersen's best-loved tales - The Emperor's New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, and Thumbelina. In addition, Ole Shuteye, a character from a fairy tale Andersen wrote in 1842, is used as a narrator. The play is darker than most Christmas theatre (It's recommended for ages 9 and over), but it looks like it has the creativity and imagination needed to be essential family viewing.
(Runs 30th December - 22nd January)
This take on Alice in Wonderland comes from ZooNation, a troupe blending Hip-Hop dance and theatre. The artistic director, Katy Prince, has teamed up with Josh Cohen and DJ Walde to provide a unique spin on the tale set in a lunatic asylum. In The Mad Hatter's Tea Party, a psychiatrist called Ernest comes to investigate the inhabitants of the Institution for Extremely Normal Behaviour, all of whom claim that they are from Wonderland. He attempts to investigate their eccentricities, but soon finds himself realising that "all the best people are bonkers".
The Mad Hatter's Tea Party features unconventional takes of the classic characters from the source material, including the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and Alice herself. All of them get incredible dance sequences which show off their energy and agility. There are also plenty of songs, and the score incorporates a wide range of musical styles. With its bright, exuberant approach, The Mad Hatters Tea Party is going to capture the uninhibited insanity of Lewis Carroll's classic tale.
(Runs 14th December- 17th January)
Adapted from E. T.A Hoffmann's 1816 story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the classic Christmas ballet The Nutcracker first premiered in Russia in 1892. Famed for Tchaikovsky's score, it has become so iconic that there are not one, but two versions of it being performed in London this year.
The English National Ballet's version of The Nutcracker sets the tale in Edwardian London. However, the basic story, about Clara and the Nutcracker Doll which comes to life on Christmas Eve and takes her on a wonderful journey, remains unchanged. Last year, a total of 73,000 people went to see the English National Ballet version of The Nutcracker, and it will probably be just as popular this year.
(Ends 12th January)
The second major version of The Nutcracker in London this Christmas is from the Royal Ballet. It is a revival of the classic 1984 version by the famed choreographer Peter Wright, and the ballet is returning to the Royal Opera House to celebrate his 90th birthday.
Wright's version of The Nutcracker is renowned for its attempts to be as faithful to the original 1892 production as possible. The choreography aims to replicate the work of the ballet's original choreographer, Lev Ivanov, and the sets, designed by Julia Trevelyan Oman, are inspired by Christmas images from the first half of the 19th century. The Royal Ballet's version of The Nutcracker looks like a beautiful, charming production which even those who aren't interested in ballet will enjoy.
(Ends 4th February)
The story of Peter Pan began life as a play which premiered in Christmas 1904. Therefore, it can be said that this production is trying to return the classic tale to its roots. It is directed by Sally Cookson, and arrives in London after a successful run in Bristol in 2012.
Cookson's version of Peter Pan uses a number of creative special effects, with visible wires giving the flying sequences an old-fashioned feel, and a gigantic pirate ship appearing on stage. One of the most unique features of the production is the fact that Peter's arch-enemy, Captain Hook, is now played by a woman (Anna Francolini). The coming-of-age themes which have made Peter Pan such a classic tale are central to this version, which seems like a beautiful and faithful retelling of J.M. Barrie's story.
(Runs 10th December - 15th January)
Children's TV stars Dan and Jeff are well-known amongst theatre fans for shows such as Potted Potter and Potted Sherlock, which condense a large number of stories into a single short comedic play. For Potted Panto, the duo turn their attention to pantomime.
In Potted Panto, Cinderella, Dick Whittington, Aladdin, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty being just five of the seven classic pantomimes given an farcical comedic spin in the 80-minute runtime. This requires Dan and Jeff to play a wide variety of characters, although it seems that playing all Seven Dwarves at once is too difficult for even them. This play will be great fun for those who enjoyed Dan and Jeff's previous work, and it promises to provide a unique spin on the famous stories which are being depicted.
(Runs 6th December - 29th January)
The Red Shoes is an adaptation of the classic 1948 film directed by Michael Powell and Emric Pressburger. It tells the story of Victoria, a ballerina who is playing the lead role in a ballet based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Red Shoes. Like the protagonist in the fairy tale, Victoria finds herself compelled to dance, which causes her to lose her sanity.
This version of The Red Shoes is directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, famous for his 1995 version of Swan Lake. Ashley Shaw portrays the ill-fated Victoria. The play will incorporate many iconic elements from the original movie, such as Bernard Herrmann's classic score. If you're a ballet fan who wants to see something a little different this Christmas, then The Red Shoes is worth checking out.
(Ends 8th January)
There are two high-profile versions of Sleeping Beauty being performed in London this Christmas. One of these is a pantomime, which is being performed at the Hackney Empire. The annual pantomimes at Hackney Empire, written and directed by Susie McKenna since 1998, are known for their modern and energetic approach, and it seems like their version of Sleeping Beauty is preserving this.
This pantomime is notable for two reasons. First of all,, like the Lyric Hammersmith version of Aladdin, it makes substantial use of political and cultural references, alluding to subject matter ranging from Brexit and the NHS to The Great British Bake Off and Hamilton. Secondly, it subverts one of the major problems with the source material, by making the normally passive title character into a strong protagonist with no shortage of personality. Pantomimes are often seen as very old-fashioned, but the Hackney Empire version of Sleeping Beauty is perfectly suited to the contemporary tastes.
(Runs 21st December - 14th March)
70 years ago, the classic ballet Sleeping Beauty was performed by the Royal Ballet for the first time. To mark the anniversary, it is returning to the Royal Opera House, exactly a decade after the previous notable revival. The duo who produced the 2006 version, Monica Mason and Christopher Newton, are also producing this adaptation.
We all know the story of Sleeping Beauty, and the ballet's score (provided by Tchaikovsky) is instantly recognisable (Disney incorporated many of the pieces from it into their 1957 adaptation of the fairy tale). Though Sleeping Beauty is a very long ballet (It's about 3 hours in length, including intervals), the beautiful choreography and music mean that it will provide an enchanting night out.
(Ends 1st January)
Raymond Briggs' 1979 graphic novel The Snowman is not based on a fairy tale, and its too recent to be considered a "classic" story, but the animated adaptation from 1982 has become so synonymous with Christmas in Britain that I could not resist mentioning it in this article. A theatrical adaptation has been performed at the Peacock Theatre every Christmas since 1997.
The Snowman is always a classic story, due to its wonderful visuals and bittersweet subject matter, and the theatrical adaptation provides some wonderful spectacle. If you want to see iconic moments from the film, such as the "Walking in the Air" sequence, brought to life in a new way, then you should definitely see this play.
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