Think pantos are all Chuckle Brothers and X Factor rejects? Actually, they don’t have to be. Here’s some pantos you'll actually enjoy that range from hilarious to celeb-filled to downright filthy.
If you want to spot celebrities
The Portobello Panto does Peter Panto
Tabernacle, Notting Hill
*17-20 **Dec *
Featuring some (actually cool) celebrities, this just-for-charity shambles last year raised over £10,000 for the Shepherds Bush Families Project and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Everyone but everyone's made an appearance before from Kate Moss, Lily Allen, Miquita Oliver and Jaime Winstone.
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If you like your Christmas a bit filthy
The Alternative Panto does The Magical Road To Oz
Brighton Dome, Brighton
28 Jan-8 Feb 2015
After a bit of a battle with some weirdos that wanted to move this show to the summer, Brighton's biggest adult panto is definitely back in the game. Previous incarnations of this panto include ‘Cinderfella’ and ‘Dick Whittington (And His Pussy)’. Expect drag queens, naked men and humour to make even the crudest of you out there blush.
If you’re after clever comedy
The Sleeping Trees do Cinderella & The Beanstalk
Theatre 503, Battersea
2 Dec-10 Jan
After doing spectacularly well at Edinburgh this year, comedy troupe The Sleeping Trees (Josh, John and James) have cobbled together a mash up of all your favourite fairy stories from Cinderlla to Rumple Stiltskin.
If you want to learn stuff too
Comedy Club 4 Kids + UCL Science Department do The Santa Claus Science Experiment
The Bloomsbury Theatre
-
15-21 *Dec
Yes it might be aimed at kids but this does look a hell of a lot of fun, this show tells the tale of what happens when Santa is arrested because he's considered a threat to national security (very on trend). The problem is solved through the medium of comedy, audience interaction and real-life exploding science experiments on stage.
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If you're more into the music
Rock N’ Roll Panto Does Little Red Riding Hood
Liverpool Everyman
29 Nov-17 Jan
Forget about plinky plonky comical percussion, Liverpool do their panto rock and roll style with a full live band. After last year's Aladdin, the creators are this year promising it'll be 'full of families and laughter, magic and fart gags'. We're there.
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Picture: Eugenia Loli
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.