TAKE A MAGICAL TRIP TO PANTO LAND!

Imagine Theatre’s Jamie Leadbeatter talks to Ensemble about panto season 2025.

Panto season has officially begun, and the magic is already sparkling across the country!

This year, Imagine Theatre is celebrating another fantastic festive line-up, with productions now open and bringing joy to audiences young and old. Over the next six weeks, we’ll deliver hundreds of performances full of laughter, music, mayhem and all the traditions that make pantomime such a special part of Christmas.

2025 has been a year of real transformation for Imagine Theatre. Not only are we delivering another spectacular season, but we’ve also moved into our brand-new premises, marking an exciting new chapter for the company. The new space is already supporting us to work more creatively, collaboratively and efficiently — and never more importantly than at this time of year!

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to be adding more pantomime venues in 2026, spreading the Imagine magic even further across the UK. And in true panto fashion, there’s no rest for the wicked — we are already hard at work getting all of our 2026 pantomimes on sale, ensuring we’re ready for another phenomenal year of productions.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the extraordinary people who bring pantomime to life.

To everyone involved this season: THANK YOU!

The long hours, late nights, rehearsals, travel, reporting, planning, cleaning, stocking, building and problem-solving… every single contribution matters. Behind the sparkle is a huge team of dedicated people working tirelessly to make the magic happen.

To the unsung heroes — FOH teams, cleaners, backstage crews, box office staff, finance and marketing teams, our Imagine head office team, theatre management, cast, creatives, chaperones and parents, technical partners, suppliers, and so many more — we see you, and we are incredibly grateful. If we’ve missed anyone, please know that your work is valued just as much.

It takes a whole community to make theatre happen, especially at panto time. What you do brings joy to hundreds of thousands of people and creates cherished Christmas memories that last a lifetime.

Sending love, gratitude and festive cheer to you all. Here’s to an extraordinary 2025 panto season, and an even brighter year ahead.