Jw3's First Jewish Pantomime Has Its World Premiere in December

Tale as old as time and as new as the world premiere of Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig, JW3's first Jewish Pantomime - the home of Jewish Arts and Culture in NW3 London, opens on Sunday 10 December 2023 - Sunday 7 January 2024. (Press performance: Tuesday 12 December at 11000hrs.)

It's Chanukah, the Jewish festival of light, and Little Red Riding Hood's village is in need of a new electricity source, at an affordable price. Will Red bring home the bacon? Will the Big Bad Pig be pig headed? Is the Wolf misunderstood and not so full of wind? And will Bubbe (Grandmother) save the day with her own special wind?

For the first time bringing together the traditions of Pantomime and Jewish storytelling, Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig is traditional Pantomime magic at its best, with classic panto favourites including: sloshing buckets, getting lost in the woods, panto baddies and a catchy finale song sheet!

Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig is written with Jewish humour by Nick Cassenbaum (Bubble Schmeisis), Director Georgia Green, (currently transferring her Bush Theatre production of Invisible to  59E59 in New York) says: "I'm so excited to bring this Chanukah Panto genre into existence. I loved panto as a child and my work pushes for a big relationship with the audience." The Musical Director Josh Middleton (DJ Vadim, Indecent - Menier, Puppet Theatre Barge), will play live on stage with a three piece band. The live band and the cast will be playing a multitude of traditional instruments from: accordion, guitar, trumpet, Bulgarian bagpipe, harp and Irish whistle and singing a mix of modern Jewish pop and rock songs and traditional classic Jewish songs in Klezmer style - but with all new pantomime lyrics!


William Galinsky, programming director at JW3 says: "Panto is one of the oldest and best-loved British traditions, one of the few times a year people young and old come together to experience the joys of the theatre. The Jewish community has a long history of theatre and now is the time we brought those two traditions together for London's first Jewish panto. JW3, as the home of Jewish culture, is uniquely positioned to bring together the best in Jewish theatre talent to put on a traditional Panto that has everything you know and love, with a JW3 twist. This Chanukah we want to bring some much-needed light to the world. I am sure, by the end of the show, when you think about where your troubles are, your only response will be 'They're behind you!'"



Another first is Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig will have a performance at 2pm on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December) - not forgetting the stunning JW3 Ice Rink outside the front of JW3 - which will be open daily from Monday 4 December!



JW3's intimate 220 seat state of the art, purpose built theatre, is perfect for a Festive treat of traditional pantomime Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig, with a pig tail twist! And a full family day of entertainment for everyone to enjoy at JW3 with the delicious Baladyt vegetarian restaurant, bar and café, JW3 Ice Rink, theatre and cinema!