King's Head Theatre Reveals Winter Lineup

Sofi Berenger, Acting CEO, and the whole team at the King's Head Theatre, have shared their upcoming shows this Christmas and into January. From pantomime, drag, and cabaret to female-led drama, there is something for everyone this winter. 

The main event of the holiday season will be the previously announced Cinderella, Islington's new family pantomime. Playing from 30 November - 5 January, the show will star RuPaul's Drag Race UK queen Ella Vaday (Nick Collier) as Peckham, one of the Ugly Sisters, as well as Mamma Mia: I Have A Dream contestant Maddy Erzan-Essien as leading lady Cinderella. The show will also feature the voice of none other than Dame Judi Dench as the narrator. Guest stars for the adult only performances are to be announced soon.

Playing alongside Cinderella, in the Main House Later slot, will be two back-to-back female-led dramas. The first of these limited run shows, from 3-9 December, will be A Trojan Woman, written by Drama Desk nominee Sara Farrington. In a flash of warfare, a mother loses her child – inspired by the human suffering of the Russian war against Ukraine, A Trojan Woman is centred around the timeless experience of women trapped in conflict. The show is a contemporary retelling of what is considered the world's first anti-war play, originally by Eurpides.  

This will be followed by Lady Montagu Unveiled, a wild and witty take on a unique historical figure. This one-woman biopic, written and performed by Thesy Surface (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) spotlights an unsung trailblazer. We join Lady M as she shakes up British high society, embarks on adventures in the Ottoman Empire as an Ambassador's wife, and reinvents herself in the seductive and scandalous courts of Venice. Hailed as Gossip Girl meets Bridgerton, the show runs from 10-15 December. 

Over the Christmas season, the theatre will also play host to two stars of the queer cabaret world. The first of these will be Mark T Cox, who brings his show Paddy Daddy Christmas to King's Head Theatre for one night only on 17 December. With plenty of festive pop bangers and stories of holiday romance, Mark T Cox offers an intimate evening around the piano.

This will be followed up by Fatt Butcher's Christmas Special, running from 18-19 December. Cabaret superstar, The Voice UK icon and  creator of the ‘landmark television moment' (The Metro) by becoming the first person to sniff poppers live on national television. Fatt Butcher promises outrageous comedy and powerhouse vocals, in a chaotic late night spectacular. 

And finally to round off our cabaret magic is Drag Me to Christmas: A Drag Christmas Carol. In this drag extravaganza, join Ebbie Scrooge, a washed-up pop diva, for a fabulous queer take on A Christmas Carol. The show stars 2024 Drag Race UK contestant Kiki Snatch, alongside a cast of other drag favourites. 

Welcoming in the new year will be a season of late shows all delving into contemporary relationships. The first of these will be Fringe hit Looking for Giants, written and directed by Cesca Echlin, which comes to King's Head Theatre from 14-26 January 2025. A monologue in three parts, the show unpicks the feeling of all-consuming obsession, as the narrator enters the minds of the men she can't stop thinking about. Fresh from glowing reviews in Edinburgh, this one woman show is a darkly funny look at the stories we tell ourselves.

For one night only on 17 January, the theatre will host The Old School Yard, a showcase from Actors' Instinct Studio written by Ben Stower. The show follows seven old friends at their 10-year sixth-form reunion, reexamining memories that blur the lines of consent, abuse, and homophobia. 

The third show in this late night season will be Posh Girls by Sophie Robertson and Harriet Chomley, running from 28 January - 2 February 2025. Following a hit, sold-out run at Pleasance London, the show follows two ex best friends from boarding school who meet unexpectedly in the waiting room of a therapist's office. Posh Girls offers a satirical look at toxic friendships and growing up, with a healthy dose of humour. 

Concluding this series of shows about modern relationships will be Thanks for Having Me by Keelan Kember returning to King's Head Theatre stage following his sell out run of February Face last year. The show will run from 3-8 February 2025. This comedy follows a neurotic, heartbroken thirty year old moving in with his laid-back, permanent-bachelor best friend, as they go on a double date. Full of laughs, the show explores relationships, love and singledom at the end of your twenties.

Sofi Berenger, Acting CEO of King's Head Theatre says: 

“Our LATER programme of work has always been an important platform for us to be able to showcase new talent and late night entertainment across art forms. Sitting alongside our main show –  the family pantomime Cinderella – we will have some wonderful late night entertainment this winter, including A Drag Christmas Carol, Fatt Butcher's Christmas Special and Mark T Cox's Paddy Daddy Christmas. We are also showcasing work from talented female writers with A Trojan Woman, Looking for Giants and Posh Girls and welcoming back Keelan Kember with his new show Thanks For Having Me after his debut show February Face transferred to us from the Old Red Lion earlier this year”

Throughout the new year, the Main House will host the King's Head's previously announced 2025 Season, which begins with Firebird by Richard Hough, based on the memoir by Sergey Fetisov and the screenplay by Peeter Rebane & Tom Prior, opening on 9 January. 

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