PANTOMIME

MOTHER GOOSE

Clive Rowe, the Olivier-winning doyen of dames, helps the home of London’s street-savviest pantomime conclude its 120th anniversary celebrations by taking the lead and directing, too, with dependable funnyman Kat B as Billy Goose. Hackney Empire, London E8 (hackneyempire.co.uk), until Dec 31

DICK WHITTINGTON

This Cotswolds theatre has the ideal ambience for a family-friendly panto, and dependable creativity to boot. Now in its 50th year.

The Theatre, Chipping Norton (chippingnortontheatre.com), until Jan 15

MOTHER GOOSE

At 83, Ian McKellen is also daming it up as Mother Goose, with John Bishop playing her husband; the duo run an animal sanctuary in an abandoned department store. Jonathan Harvey scripts a show that will give the Palladium panto a run for its money, and then goes on tour until Easter.

Theatre Royal Brighton (mother gooseshow.co.uk), today-Dec 11 and touring

SNOW WHITE AND THE

SEVEN DWARFS

A cavalcade of familiar faces and well-known names join south London’s biggest panto offering, with Ruthie Henshall, Matthew Kelly, Lee Mead and Dick & Dom all signing up for the show political correctness couldn’t ban.

New Wimbledon Theatre (atgtickets. com), today-Dec 31

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK As lavish as they get, and as innuendo-laden as they come (annual fixture Julian Clary returns), this year’s panto extravaganza has recruited Dawn French as Dame Trot, with Alexandra Burke, Nigel Havers, Gary Wilmot and Paul Zerdin adding both celebrity heft and comic zest.

London Palladium, London W1 (palladiumpantomime.com),

Dec 10-Jan 15

POTTED PANTO

Silly, fun and mercifully brief: seven pantos rattled through in 70 minutes, courtesy of co-creators (and former CBBC presenters) Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner. Apollo Theatre, London W1 (nimaxtheatres.com), Dec 17-Jan 8

h Reel woman: Clive Rowe as the dame in Hackney Empire’s Mother Goose