Catherine Tate Will Star in SLEEPING BEAUTY Pantomime at the London Palladium

The London Palladium Pantomime will celebrate its 10th anniversary season at the world-famous venue this Christmas with the magical fairytale adventure, Sleeping Beauty.

The London Palladium Pantomime - firmly established as the greatest spectacle in the theatrical calendar, which last year welcomed its 1 millionth customer – also today announces casting:

Catherine Tate will star as Carabosse the Wicked Fairy, alongside Palladium panto royalty Julian Clary as King Julian.

This milestone production also sees the return of favourites Paul Zerdin as The Great Zerdini, Nigel Havers as Keeper of the Privy and Rob Madge as The Diva of Dreams.

Fresh from his cameo as King Richard in last year's production of Robin Hood, Jon Culshaw joins the company as King Julian's Private Detective. Emily Lane returns to the Palladium as Princess Beauty following her performance in Hello, Dolly! last summer and Amonik Melaco returns as The Prince, having first been cast in the company last year.

2025 marks the tenth year that Julian Clary, Nigel Havers and Paul Zerdin have starred in pantomimes at The London Palladium, since the 2016 production of Cinderella. Rob Madge made a triumphant Palladium Panto debut in 2022's Jack and the Beanstalk and has since returned in Peter Pan and Robin Hood.

Sleeping Beauty will make your dreams come true at The London Palladium this Christmas, celebrating ten years since panto spectacularly returned to London's home of variety. The West End's biggest Christmas show will celebrate the 10th anniversary in magnificent style, with that age-old fairytale message: whilst one small prick can be deadly, at The London Palladium you're promised the happiest of endings.

Sleeping Beauty will run from Saturday 6 December 2025 – Sunday 11 January 2026 at The London Palladium.

Catherine Tate, who will be making her Palladium Panto debut this year, says, “After seeing last year's Palladium panto, I just couldn't resist being part of this fabulous tradition - especially for its very special 10th season! I'm super excited to be in Sleeping Beauty - it's going to be so much fun, especially getting to play the baddie and share the stage with the wonderful Julian Clary. Roll on rehearsals - I can't wait to get started!”  

Michael Harrison, who this year celebrates a decade as Producer and Director of The London Palladium Pantomime says: “Since we returned pantomime to The London Palladium, the response of our wonderful audiences has been thrilling. Now, as we begin preparations for our tenth production, I can't wait to welcome Catherine Tate to the company of Sleeping Beauty, and also to thank everyone who has contributed to bringing pantomime so magnificently back to London's home of variety.”

We plan to celebrate our 10th anniversary in true Palladium Panto style, and will be pulling out all the stops to mark this incredible milestone with the scale and spectacle that our audiences so enjoy. Every single seat, including all our standing room, sold out for last year's Robin Hood……so don't sleep on getting tickets!”

Harrison's production has set designs by Mark Walters and costume designs by Hugh Durrant, Teresa Nalton and Mike Coltman created especially for The London Palladium, choreography by Karen Bruce, visual special effects by The Twins FX, lighting designs by Ben Cracknell, sound designs by Matt Peploe and composition and orchestrations by Gary Hind.

Sleeping Beauty is produced and directed by Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes. As a producer in the West End, his credits include Titanique, Hello, Dolly! Sunset Boulevard, The Little Big Things, Crazy For You, The Wizard of Oz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Drifters Girl and Gypsy, as well as the forthcoming production of Evita at the London Palladium. His production of Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre has just extended booking for a fifth time since opening last summer, having been nominated for 3 Olivier Awards and having won 7 WhatsonStage Awards.

To post a comment, you must register and login.