John Elkington is back in Widow Twankey’s frocks for Aladdin at Nottingham Playhouse, while Ben Thornton takes the title role in Robin Hood, the Lichfield Garrick’s first home-grown pantomime in more than a decade.
Two Midlands pantomimes now have their companies in place. John Elkington, Nottingham Playhouse’s long-serving dame, heads the cast of Aladdin from 27 November, and Ben Thornton leads Robin Hood at the Lichfield Garrick, which opens a week earlier on 20 November.
Aladdin at Nottingham Playhouse
John Elkington, whose credits include the BBC’s Riot Girls and One Man, Two Guvnors in Ipswich and Southampton, returns as Widow Twankey. Danny Hendrix, seen in War Horse at the National Theatre and in the Playhouse’s Sleeping Beauty, comes back as Aladdin, and Bradley Judge, from the 9 to 5 UK tour and the theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk, is Wishy Washy. Lara Sas, part of the Playhouse’s Dear Evan Hansen and its UK tour, also returns, as the Spirit of the Ring and the Ruler.
For the first time in the Playhouse’s pantomime, Abanazar is a job share. Tom Hopcroft, whose credits include Anything Goes at Kilworth House and the Playhouse’s Jack and the Beanstalk, returns and divides the role with newcomer Thomas Levi, whose work includes Beauty and the Beast at Tamworth Snowdome and Momentary Matters for Nottingham Theatre Royal and the RSC. The arrangement follows the theatre’s membership of Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA), which helps parents and carers keep working in the arts, and lets Hopcroft take the part while meeting his caring responsibilities.
“Panto at the Nottingham Playhouse is incredibly special, and it means so much to be part of it while still having precious time with my family over Christmas,” said Hopcroft.
Two more names are new to the Playhouse pantomime. Eloise Runnette, from the Sister Act UK tour and Salisbury Playhouse’s Jack and the Beanstalk, plays the Genie of the Lamp and PC World. Mary Suarez, whose credits include the UK and Ireland tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Moana in Mickey’s Storybook Adventure at Shanghai Disney Resort, makes her pantomime debut as Princess Jasmine. A Young Chorus of 14 local children, chosen at open auditions and split into Team Ariel and Team Persil, covers everything from market traders to Aladdin’s servants, with penguins along the way.
Adam Penford, the Playhouse’s Artistic Director, writes and directs. “This year, we have a great balance of returning actors who the audience already know and love, and fresh, new faces,” said Penford. “We’ve even splashed out on a state-of-the-art magic carpet that will send our Aladdin soaring.”
Design is by Cleo Pettitt, with John Morton as musical director, choreography by Rosanna Bates, lighting by Ben Jacobs and sound by Paul Groothuis. Aladdin runs from Friday 27 November 2026 to Saturday 16 January 2027, with its press performance on Saturday 28 November at 7pm, and tickets are on sale now. Accessible performances are:
- BSL-interpreted: Friday 11 December, 6pm; Saturday 12 December, 2pm; Thursday 17 December, 2pm
- Captioned: Saturday 5 December, 2pm; Saturday 12 December, 7pm
- Audio-described, with touch tour: Wednesday 9 December, 2.45pm; Saturday 12 December, 2pm
- Relaxed: Wednesday 6 January 2027, 7pm; Tuesday 12 January 2027, 11am
- Dementia-friendly: Thursday 14 January 2027, 1pm
Robin Hood at the Lichfield Garrick
Ben Thornton, a Garrick regular, plays the outlaw in Robin Hood, the first pantomime the theatre has produced itself for more than ten years. “Lichfield is an incredible, incredible city to spend Christmas,” said Thornton. “My favourite thing about Lichfield is the Garrick and its audiences.”
Ben Stock, a Great British Pantomime Award winner who has made two albums, among them Ben Stock Sings Noel Coward, and was a regular showbiz reporter on BBC Radio Bristol, joins as the dame, Nurse Nellie. “I’ve heard that the audiences at the Lichfield Garrick are the best in the country, so I’m really looking forward to playing for them, and possibly seeing them in Tesco on the way home,” said Stock.
Joe Feeney is back at the Garrick as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Rosie Napper, who played Cinderella in the theatre’s own musical Disenchanted!, is the wicked Morgana, and Eliza Waters, a former deputy stage manager at the Garrick who graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2019, plays Maid Marian. Ashley Cavender is Merlin and Anna Soden plays Bluebell, Robin’s sister.
Daniel Buckroyd, the Garrick’s chief executive and artistic director, directs, with set and costumes by John Brooking, musical direction by Gary Jerry, choreography by Kayleigh Dettmer and lighting by Barry Smith. “With pantomime, the brakes are off a bit,” said Brooking. “You can actually go a bit mad.”
Robin Hood runs at the Lichfield Garrick from Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 10 January 2027, with its press performance on Thursday 26 November at 7pm.
Two more regional pantomimes have already named their companies this month: the Mercury Theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk in Colchester and Watford Palace Theatre’s A Christmas Carol: The Pantomime.
