A round-up of the pantomimes and Christmas shows in the region, part two

We start in Huddersfield, at the Lawrence Batley Theatre and a production that goes on to the stage with enormous goodwill behind it. In the last five years the theatre has done brilliant work in reintroducing an annual, homegrown pantomime. Andrew Pollard, well known as an actor to Northern Broadsides faithful fans, is on script duties here, as he has been for some time now at the Lawrence Batley Theatre at Christmas.

Director Rachel Gee is well known to Yorkshire audiences thanks to her work directing for that most delightful of Yorkshire companies. The connections continue: Mikron’s producer, larger than life character Pete Toon, appears here on the stage making his dame debut at Dame Trott. Joyce Branagh, Alyce Liburd and James McLean are other cast members who will be very familiar faces to Yorkshire audiences. All of these are good reason for the claim that the production will have a lot of goodwill behind it as it heads to the stage – and it’s no accident.

Becky Atkinson, chief executive of LBT, says: “We strive to showcase actors on our stage who look and sound like our audiences. I am pleased to share that all our cast members have natural, regional accents local to our theatre and are regularly seen on Yorkshire stages. We are so proud to be trusted by families to introduce their children to the magic of live performance and pleased to welcome back audiences who have made visiting our pantomime their annual tradition.”

Yes, the notion of an annual panto trip isn’t, of course, particular to Lawrence Batley and those who go through the theatre’s doors, but I do admire the way the theatre bosses a few years ago decided to commit to producing a pantomime a few years ago, have stuck with it – and are reaping the just rewards now. Oh, and the story they’re telling this year is Jack and the Beanstalk (to December 31).

In Wakefield the city’s Theatre Royal is bringing perhaps the most traditional pantomime to the stage, with Dick Whittington. It’s becoming something of a tradition for Wakefield to have the central team at the helm; made up of writer and Dame Chris Hannon alongside director Rhiannon Hannon and musical director Jim Lunt. The pantomime is also built on an intense locality – this year’s story makes much of the journey Dick hopes to take, travelling from Wakefield to find his fortune as a famous singer in what turns out to be a rat-infested London. (To December 31).

In Halifax, at the Victoria Theatre there are a number of returning cast members for Sleeping Beauty. Comic Josh Benson says: “This is my third year doing panto in Halifax. I have always played the comedy role and I’m always called Josh, which is my actual name. I suppose because it’s easy and my name lends itself to joshing about which is what I do best. I really enjoy the authenticity of being able to play myself in panto. I bring a bit of myself to the role but Joshin’ Josh gives it that panto vibe.”

Adam Stafford returns as Dame and says: “I’ve been doing pantomime for quarter of a century and next year is my fiftieth year in showbiz. I started young and panto has been a very big part of that, I’ve been very lucky. It is, as we all know, a great British tradition and a very special thing to do.” (To January 2).

The other show I wanted to tell you about, that falls between the stools of pantomime and family show is Nutcracker. The Northern Ballet production, coming to Leeds Grand Theatre, is such an iconic piece of work, David Nixon’s production returns to the stage for the first time since before the pandemic in the year the ballet celebrates its 130th anniversary. It’s a very special piece of theatre and if pantomime isn’t your thing, then this might be just the thing for you.

And the final show to include here, is East 17’s Stay Another Day Christmas Tour, coming to Bradford’s St George’s Hall on December 21 and featuring some of S Club 7 and Blazin Squad. I checked and this is a real thing.

Merry Christmas.