A Riot of Festive Fun: Sleeping Beauty at Nottingham Playhouse

Panto season has officially arrived, and Nottingham Playhouse is back with a bang. This year’s production of Sleeping Beauty brings all the mayhem, magic and mischievous humour audiences have come to love, with thrills, spills and belly laughs that delight even the youngest theatre goers, while offering plenty of cheeky jokes for the adults too.

TJ Lloyd and Yazmin King, John Elkington and the Youth Chorus, Seb Harwood and Lara Sas in Sleeping Beauty. Photos by Manuel Harlan

For our family, the Playhouse panto has become a much loved yearly tradition. Our children have grown up watching the legendary Dame, John Elkington, who has been dazzling audiences for an incredible 27 years. His iconic catchphrases. from “Ey-up mi ducks!” to “Nighty nighty, pyjama pyjama!”  are now firmly embedded in our household vocab.

This year’s cast surrounding John playing Nelly the Nanny, is a stellar line-up of energetic young performers, each bringing the perfect blend of talent, timing and enthusiasm to deliver a side splitting show from start to finish. And we have to give a special shout out to Prince Charming, quite literally the funniest role of the night, and guaranteed to have the audience in stitches.

The Playhouse once again puts its unique spin on the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. While the beloved characters are all present, the production is sprinkled with the theatre’s signature magic; a dash of Christmas cheer, a touch of playful naughtiness and all the chaos that makes a panto such a British institution.

We loved this year’s show so much that we’ve already booked our seats for next year’s production, Aladdin! That’s quite the commitment for a family known for leaving everything to the last minute.

So, if you’re in need of a serious boost of Christmas spirit, head to the Nottingham Playhouse panto. You won’t be disappointed; it’s pure festive joy from beginning to end.

Danny Hendrix in Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

Catch Sleeping beauty until 17^th January 2026 Sleeping Beauty at Nottingham Playhouse - Visit Nottinghamshire

Blog written by Anna Scott - Business Development Executive