ALADDIN Will Be Lyric Hammersmith Theatre's 2024 Pantomime

The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre has announced Aladdin as its pantomime for 2024, written by Sonia Jalaly, directed by Lyric Associate Director Nicholai La Barrie, and playing in the Main House from Saturday 16 November 2024 – Sunday 05 January 2025 with early bird booking of 30% off available now.

Following the critically-acclaimed Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022, award-winning writer Sonia Jalaly and director Nicholai La Barrie join forces once again and bring a brand new take on the magical fairy tale of Aladdin, continuing the Lyric's long history of bringing some of the finest and most entertaining pantomimes to London.

Sonia Jalaly, Writer, said: "I cannot wait to bring an all-singing, all-dancing, all-Daming, magic carpet ride of a party to Hammersmith with the wonderful Nicholai La Barrie. Am I going to pass out from excitement? Probably.”

Nicholai La Barrie, Director, said: “Aladdin will be an outrageously funny and joyous fairy tale with a big heart at the centre of its story, bringing festive magic to our West London audiences and beyond. I am thrilled to work alongside Sonia Jalaly again to bring this incredible pantomime full of laughter, pop tunes, and feel-good vibes to life and hope this will be an unforgettable theatre experience for all families to cherish.”

Also announced, is the return of family-favourite Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas, the critically acclaimed production adapted by Pins and Needles, playing in the Studio from Wednesday 20 November – Saturday 28 December 2024. Directed by Emma Earle, the production is filled with live music and puppetry and is perfect for under 6-year-olds and their families. Since being published in 1973, the late Raymond Briggs' much-loved children's book has been adapted for stage and screen and has now entertained thousands of families at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre for the last 13 years.

ALADDIN

A Lyric Hammersmith Theatre production
Written by Sonia Jalaly
Directed by Nicholai La Barrie

Saturday 16 November 2024 - Sunday 05 January 2025

Press day: Saturday 23 November 2024

 

Your wishes have been granted, for Aladdin is the Lyric's 2024 panto! Soar above the streets of Hammersmith with our panto heroes Aladdin and Jasmine for an adventure you won't forget.

Following the success of Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022, award-winning writer Sonia Jalaly and director Nicholai La Barrie join forces once again to bring us a brand new take on the story we all know and love, with added chart-topping tunes, side-splitting comedy and a fresh yet familiar Lyric twist.

Ticket prices increase with demand, so book now to save 30% off tickets for a limited time only. (Subject to T&Cs*)

 

Biographies

Sonia Jalaly is a writer and theatre maker from Manchester. Her theatre credits include: Jack and the Beanstalk at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre; Catch commissioned and toured by Clean Break; Happy Birthday Without You toured to Kiln Theatre and Paines Plough's Roundabout at the Edinburgh Fringe. She has also devised and written a number of community theatre shows: Cold Chips And Pick N Mix for Royal Exchange Theatre; Bump for Kiln Theatre; We Want To Be Frank and The Competition for Company Three; She Is On Her Way for Clean Break.

She was a member of BBC Writersroom Comedy Room 2018 and has since written for a number of CBBC and CBeebies shows including Supertato, Class Dismissed, Justin's House, Swashbuckle and Biff and Chip.

Nicholai La Barrie is a theatre and film director, Associate Director of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and has been a MOBO Fellow. His credits as director for the Lyric include God of Carnage; Jack and the Beanstalk, and as a dramaturge; Feels and The Mob Reformers. His work in theatre includes Romeo & Juliet (Manchester Royal Exchange), Tina - The Tina Turner Musical as Resident Director (Australia & previously West End), Portrait For Posterity (Arcola Theatre), Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), Grey, There is Nothing There (Oval House), White (Edinburgh Festival), Gob (London International Festival of Theatre), The Book of Disquiet (Blue Elephant Theatre), I'll Take You There (Gate Theatre), and Chet Baker: Speedball (606 Jazz Club). His film credits include Hamlet Sort Of, North East South West, Aingeal, Dark Stranger (2009 Official selection Caribbean film festival).

FATHER CHRISTMAS

A Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Pins and Needles co-production

Written by Raymond Briggs
Directed by Emma Earle

Wednesday 20 November - Saturday 28 December 2024

“Join Santa as he awakes from a dream of sun, sea and sand only to find it is the busiest day of the year: Christmas Eve. Watch as he prepares for his Christmas deliveries, feeds his reindeer and finally takes flight into the snowy night.

Back for another brilliant year, Christmas isn't Christmas without this Lyric family favourite, co-produced with the Olivier Award-nominated Pins & Needles Productions.”

 

Biographies

Raymond Briggs (Writer) was born in London in 1934. He was the author of the hugely successful children's books Father Christmas and The Snowman. These books have been translated into many languages and adapted into films, stage shows and animations. His other books include Fungus the Bogeyman, The Bear, Ug, When the Wind Blows, Ethel & Ernest, a biography of his parents, and his latest, Time for Lights Out, a contemplation on old age, told through words and pictures.

Emma Earle (Director) returns to the Lyric for another festive season, directing family-favourite Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas. Other credits for the Lyric include Scoop, Holly & Ivan's Christmas Adventure. Other theatre includes: Alice in Wonderland (Mercury Theatre); Adventures in Wonderland (The Vaults and Shanghai); The Bear (Midlands Arts Centre); OZ (Tobacco Factory Theatres); Oi Frog & Friends! (Lyric, West End); Select A Quest (online); Mr Popper's Penguins (Criterion, West End and New Victory New York); Flies (Pleasance, Edinburgh); The Scarlet Pimpernel (Theatre Royal Bath); Little Mermaid (the egg); Dinner at the Twits (The Vaults); The Fantastical Flying Exploratory Laboratory (GDIF); The Marvellous Imaginary Menagerie (Latitude); Ernest and the Pale Moon (Pleasance Edinburgh); Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School); Gizmo Love (Tobacco Factory); Elves and the Shoemakers (Tobacco Factory); The Shape of Things (Ustinov Studio); Yer Tis (the egg); Glengarry Glen Ross (Ustinov Studio); The Grapes of Wrath (the egg); Pavement (Alma Theatre); Riot (the egg); A Clockwork Orange (Alma Theatre)

Pins and Needles Productions is an award-winning, female-led theatre company based in Bristol, led by Director/Designer partnership Emma Earle and Zoe Squire. They create imaginative, transformational theatre for all ages and are passionate about finding playful ways to tell stories full of heart, humour and magic. Pins and Needles Productions are well known for their bold adaptations of children's books and are incredibly proud to have been trusted to adapt two of Raymond Briggs' classic books for the stage; Father Christmas and The Bear, both of which are playing in the UK this Christmas. Recent work includes OZ, a new adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which played at Tobacco Factory Theatres in 2021; Oi Frog & Friends!, produced by Kenny Wax Family Entertainment, which was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Family Show in 2020; and Select A Quest, an online interactive adventure. In 2018, they won the UK Theatre award for Best Show for Children and Young People for Little Mermaid, co-produced with the egg, Theatre Royal Bath, and their musical adaptation of Mr Popper's Penguins has toured the USA extensively, following runs in the West End and New York. Work for older audiences includes Flies by Oliver Lansley and their current project in development, an immersive, non-linear adaptation of The War of the Worlds by Matt Grinter. 

www.pinsandneedlesproductions.co.uk

*T&Cs: £80 Family Tickets are available for Aladdin. (Family tickets are for two adults and two children or one adult and three children. Valid on full price and under 16 tickets in bands B and C only). Subject to availability, limited number of family tickets per performance. To book online add one of these combinations of tickets to your basket and the discount will automatically apply. Alternatively book via the Box office by calling 020 8741 6850.

For schools' bookings please contact schools@lyric.co.uk. Reserve and pay by 30 June 2024 to get tickets for just £12 per student.

For more information visit www.lyric.co.uk

 

Raymond Briggs' FATHER CHRISTMAS

20 November – 28 December 2024
Performance schedule: For full listings see https://lyric.co.uk/shows/father-christmas-2024/
Relaxed Performances: Tuesday 26 November, 10.30am and Sunday 01 December, 11am
BSL Performance: Monday 02 December, 11.30am
Audio Described Performance: Thursday 05 December, 11.30am

ALADDIN

16 November 2024 – 05 January 2025

Press Day: Saturday 23 November 2024

Performance schedule: For full listings see https://lyric.co.uk/shows/aladdin-2024/

Relaxed Performance: Tuesday 03 December, 10am
BSL Performance: Friday 06 December, 7pm
Audio Described Performance: Thursday 12 December, 7pm

Open Captioned Performance: Wednesday 18 December, 6pm

ABOUT THE LYRIC HAMMERSMITH THEATRE

The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre produces bold and relevant world-class theatre from the heart of Hammersmith, the theatre's home for more than 125 years. Under the leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Rachel O'Riordan and Executive Director Amy Belson, it is committed to being vital to, and representative of, the local community. A major force in London and UK theatre, the Lyric produces adventurous and acclaimed theatrical work that tells the stories that matter.

The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre has a national reputation for ground-breaking work to develop and nurture the next generation of talent, providing opportunities for young people to discover the power of creativity and to experience the life changing impact of theatre.

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