From the Gate to Glór: 35 pantos and other Christmas shows around Ireland for the 2023 festive season

Pantomimes and theatre

Belfast

Rapunzel

Waterfront Hall, until Jan 6, £18-£69, 048-90334455, waterfront.co.uk

Telling the tale of the lonely princess with golden hair trapped in a tower and longing for a life of adventure on the outside world, this promises laugh-out-loud comedy, beautiful costumes and singing for all the family to enjoy.

Hansel & Gretel

Lyric Theatre, until Jan 6, from £12.50, 048-90381081, lyrictheatre.co.uk

Join Hansel, Gretel and a mischievous little mouse called Monty as they tumble through their story book and into an enchanted forest. Together with a host of woodland creatures, they go on a journey to defeat the witch in her sweetie house.

The Night Before Christmas

The Mac Live, Nov 29-Jan 7, £12.50-£27.50, 048-90235053, themaclive.com

Featuring a storyteller who loses her words, this show brings fairy-tale characters who, no longer content with living in the pages of books, jump up, out and into the real world. Will the spinner of yarns rediscover her wonderful tales in time for Christmas?

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Grand Opera House, Dec 2-Jan 14, £20-39, 048-90241919, goh.co.uk

Starring Phil Walker, Paddy Jenkins and May McFettridge, this show promises an abundance of comedy, sensational songs and dance numbers, fabulous costumes, and stunning scenery and special effects.

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[ How to put on a panto: Keep it fluffy, with a sprinkle of fear and a few jokes for the adults ]

Clare

Sleeping Beauty

Glór, Ennis, Dec 23-Jan 1, €15-€55, 065-6843103, glor.ie

A local panto from Pantaloons with seasonal sparkle from Sparks Dance School.

Cork

Jack and the Beanstalk

Cork Opera House, Nov 29-Jan 21, €20-€37.50, 021-4270022, corkoperahouse.ie

The team that staged Sleeping Beauty in 2022 return with what they say will be their most joyous panto experience yet.

Beauty and the Beast

Everyman, Cork city, Dec 2-Jan 14, from €22, 021-4501673, everymancork.com

With talking teapots, singing candlesticks and clever clocks, this classic tale aims to delight a whole new generation.

Derry

Jack and the Beanstalk

Millennium Forum, Derry city, Nov 30-Dec 31, various prices, 048-71264455, millenniumforum.co.uk

Telling the story of peasant boy Jack and his attempts to please his impoverished mother and win the hand of Princess Jill, this panto promises plenty of comedy, song and dance.

Dublin

Cinderella

Gaiety Theatre, until Jan 21, €21.50-€47.50, 01-6486029/0818-719388, gaietytheatre.ie

Celebrating 150 years of panto at the Gaiety, Joe Conlan stars as Nanny Scrumptious in Cinderella, directed by Daryn Crosbie.

Treasure Island

The Helix, Dublin City University, until Jan 14, from €27.50, 01-7007000, thehelix.ie

TheatreworX’s extravaganza promises to be as fun and fresh as ever, bringing the audience “through a magical pantosphere of intrigue and adventure”.

Cinderella

Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Dec 6-Jan 7, €21-€23, 01-4627477, civictheatre.ie

The Civic and Rob Murphy present the rags-to-riches tale with plenty of panto antics.

Sleeping Beauty

Mill Theatre, Dundrum, Dec 7-Jan 7, €20-€22, 01-2969340, milltheatre.ie

A 60-minute show from Geoff O’Keeffe, perfect for first-time pantogoers.

Sammy, Buffy and the Beanstalk

National Stadium, Dec 12-Jan 7, €20-€37.50, 01-9060111, panto.ie

Alan Hughes returns as Sammy Sausages, alongside Rob Murphy as Buffy and Una Healy as the fairy queen.

A Christmas Carol

Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, Dec 14-Dec 17, €12-€14, 01-2312929, paviliontheatre.ie

Back after a sold-out run in 2022, Bryan Burroughs and Aaron Monaghan stylishly retell Charles Dickens’s classic tale.

Rapunzel

Liberty Hall, Dec 18-Dec 31, €29, 01-6877066, libertypanto.com

Eurovision winner Linda Martin plays Mother Gothel, with Anna Kearney as Rapunzel.

Olly, Polly and the Magic Lamp

3Olympia Theatre, Dec 20-Jan 7, €17-€42, ticketmaster.ie

Jump aboard the magic carpet with Ryan Andrews, Maclean Burke and James Patrice.

Freezin the Panto

Draíocht, Blanchardstown, Jan 4-Jan 21, €22-€25, 01-8852622, draiocht.ie

When faced with danger, a pair of princesses discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. Featuring Frosty the Snowman and Sfine the Reindeer for a show loaded with magic, adventure and laughs.

Snow White the Pantomime

Axis, Ballymun, Jan 4-Jan 28, €20, 01-8832100, www.axisballymun.ie

Dame Stuffy embarks on a journey filled with adventure, friendship and unexpected twists in this local panto.

Galway

Puss in Boots

Town Hall Theatre, Galway city, Dec 29-Jan 14, €17-€20, 091-569777, tht.ie

The Renmore Players introduce their first production of a fairy tale about a lovable, smooth-talking rogue with a thirst for adventure.

Kildare

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Moat Theatre, Naas, until Dec 9, €18, 045-883030, moattheatre.com

Goldilocks discovers a lot more than she expects after stumbling into the three bears’ home in this panto filled with fun, dance, music and laughter.

Kilkenny

Aladdin

Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny city, Jan 3-Jan 14, €19-€21, 056-7761674, watergatetheatre.com

David Doyle directs a fun-filled fairy tale to blow away the post-Christmas blues.

Limerick

Aladdin and his Magic Lamp

Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick city, Dec 8-Jan, €30, 061-953400, limetreetheatre.ie

Aidan Crowe stars as Widow Twanky in the Lime Tree’s second professional panto written by Mike Finn.

Sleeping Beauty

University Concert Hall, Limerick city, Dec 18-Jan 14, €25-€34, 061-331549, uch.ie

Richie Hayes and Myles Breen star in a show that promises to be packed with comedy, music, glitz, glamour and a heroine who thinks nothing of nodding off midshow.

Longford

The Adventures of Billy & Sleeping Beauty

St Mel’s College, Longford town, Dec 19-Dec 31, €24, gr8events.ie

The X Factor star Mary Byrne returns to play Fairy Mary alongside Damien Douglas as Billy Doolittle.

Louth

Snow White

TLT Drogheda, Dec 16-Jan 1, €22.50, 041-9878560, thetlt.ie

A feast of shiny apples, magic mirrors and crazy characters is promised.

Sligo

Dick Whittington

Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo town, Dec 3-Dec 16, €20, 071-9161518, hawkswell.com

Coolera Dramatic Society celebrates Christmas with its annual family panto.

Waterford

Rapunzel

Theatre Royal, Waterford city, Dec 7-Dec 30, €17-€21, 051-874402, theatreroyal.ie

Waterford Panto Society invites audiences to let their hair down for the Tangled tale of Rapunzel.

Wexford

Rapunzel and the League of Princesses

National Opera House, Wexford town, Jan 17-Jan 21, €15.50-€21.50, 053-9122400, nationaloperahouse.ie

Princesses Rapunzel, Cinderella and Snow White team up to rescue their princes and defeat the evil Gothel, whose goal is to destroy all happy-ever-afters.

Westmeath

The Little Mermaid

Mullingar Arts Centre, Dec 7-Dec 30, €22, 044-9347777, mullingarartscentre.ie

Mullingar Pantomime Group heads under the sea for its traditional Christmas pantomime.

Musicals, circus, concerts, dance

Belfast

Winter Circus

Big Top, Writer’s Square, Dec 15-Jan 2, £9-£16, tumblecircus.com

Family show filled with acrobats and athletic performers from Tumble Circus.

Dublin

Peter Pan

Gate Theatre, until Jan 14, €25-€55

Transported from Edwardian London to early 20th-century Dublin, the story of the boy who wouldn’t grow up sees the Darling children whisked away to Never Land by Peter Pan and Tinker Bell in this new version by Roddy Doyle.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dec 5-Jan 7, from €26.50, 01-6777770, bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

This stage show follows the hit West End and Broadway productions to combine songs from the original 1970s motion picture with new numbers from the award-winning songwriters of Hairspray.

This Way to Christmas, featuring The Snowman

National Concert Hall, Dec 15-Dec 17, €30, 01-4170000, nch.ie

Theatre Lovett brings an extra touch of magic to the Christmas concert spectacle. Louis Lovett hosts proceedings.

The Sound of Music

National Concert Hall, Dec 27-Jan 2, €29-€39, 01-4170000, nch.ie

After a sell-out run last year, Festival Productions brings the hills to life once again with a Sound of Music directed by Tony Finnegan and starring Róisín Sullivan as Maria.

Limerick

Fossetts Christmas Circus

Cleeves factory site, Limerick city, Dec 27-Jan 7, €18-€23, fossettscircus.com

Fossetts Circus pitches its tent in Limerick for the Christmas season.