From Gethin Jones in Cardiff and Owain Wyn Evans in Swansea to a community Robin Hood in Penarth and a cowboy cat in Milford Haven, here’s where to find your festive theatre fix.
There comes a point in December when perfectly sensible people pay good money to yell at someone who can’t see a villain standing two feet behind them. We’re firmly in favour. Panto gives the kids permission to make a racket, the grown-ups permission to laugh at dreadful jokes, and the person in the biggest wig in the building permission to pick on Dad.
This year South Wales has a particularly good spread. You can go from a full-scale fairytale on Park Place to a home-grown panto in a former workmen’s hall, take little ones to a Welsh-language Pinocchio, or catch a Christmas ballet with a live orchestra. And if your December diary is already groaning, there’s still a beanstalk to climb and a Captain Hook to boo in January.
Listings checked 12 November 2026. Times are examples unless a full schedule is given. Follow each booking link for the performance you want, especially for school holidays, Christmas Eve and access performances.
Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan
Beauty and the Beast · New Theatre, Cardiff
5 December 2026–3 January 2027. Selected shows at 2.30pm, with a relaxed performance on 15 December at 6pm.
Gethin Jones plays Filipe De Boeuf, Steve Speirs is Monsieur Marzipan and Mike Doyle gets the best name on the bill as dame Betty Bonbon. Jack Ryan is Betty’s son Almonde, Cardiff’s Jo Osmond plays Madame Spite, and Jade Davies and Harri Lloyd-Morgan are Belle and the Beast. With that many confectionery-themed names, the interval sweets have competition. The 12 December 2.30pm show is BSL-interpreted and 2 January at 2.30pm is captioned. New Theatre panto information and booking
The Merry Adventures of Maid Marian · Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
27 November 2026–2 January 2027. Performances vary, with 11.30am and 4pm shows on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Sherwood gets a South Wales relocation and Marian gets top billing. Written by Paul Dodgson and directed by Lee Lyford, this Sherman production in association with Theatr Iolo puts a company of actor-musicians onstage, including Elin Phillips, Carwyn Jones, Keiron Self and Rebecca Hennessey. It’s made for ages 7+. The 5 December 2pm performance is both relaxed and BSL-interpreted. Sherman Theatre tickets
Pinocchio · Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
23 November 2026–2 January 2027. Shows at 11am or 1.30pm, with separate English- and Welsh-language performances.
This studio production is designed for ages 3–6, with mats, benches and chairs for little theatregoers and their grown-ups. A puppet who can’t keep a straight face when he tells a fib is a fine introduction to live theatre. Check the language when choosing a date. Sherman Theatre performance calendar
Matilda The Musical · Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
9 December 2026–17 January 2027. Selected matinees at 2.30pm and evenings at 7.30pm.
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s take on Roald Dahl brings Miss Trunchbull, a very small heroine with a very big brain, and Tim Minchin’s songs to the Donald Gordon Theatre. Recommended for ages 6+. The Centre lists a chilled performance on 14 January at 2.30pm, along with BSL, captioned and audio-described dates. Wales Millennium Centre
Basil & The Ice Witch and more · Cardiff Christmas Festival, Sophia Gardens
Basil & The Ice Witch runs 3–24 December. A Christmas Carol runs 8–10 December. Storytime With Santa runs 21–23 December. Session times vary.
The heated Spiegeltent has moved to Sophia Gardens. Basil & The Ice Witch is the family musical, recommended for ages 3+, while Dickens Theatre Company supplies the ghosts in A Christmas Carol. For younger children, the 45-minute Storytime With Santa introduces Crackers the Elf and Bryn the Polar Bear. There’s also Christmas at the Musicals on 6 December and the Morecambe and Wise tribute Eric & Ern on 13 December. Cardiff Christmas Festival programme and tickets
Robin Hood · Paget Rooms, Penarth
3–6 December. 7pm on Thursday and Friday, 1pm and 6pm on Saturday, 11am and 4pm on Sunday.
The Penarth Operatic & Dramatic Society has been entertaining the town since 1924. Its volunteers are heading into Sherwood for this year’s panto. There’s a bit of screen history in the building too. The Paget Rooms has been used as a filming location for Netflix’s Sex Education. Penarth Town Council listing and tickets
Alice in Wonderland · Memo Arts Centre, Barry
17–20 December. 7.30pm on Thursday and Friday, 3pm on Saturday, 11am and 3pm on Sunday.
Billboard Ensemble is celebrating 30 years of entertaining Barry audiences with a trip down the rabbit hole. The local amateur company gives Wonderland the panto treatment, which feels entirely appropriate for a place where even a tea party can turn into an argument. Memo Arts Centre tickets
Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen and the eastern Valleys
Cinderella · The Riverfront, Newport
27 November–31 December. Opens at 7pm. Selected holiday shows are at 1.30pm and 5.30pm, including both performances on New Year’s Eve.
Richard Elis and Gareth Tempest are the outrageous stepsisters. Expect Buttons, a Fairy Godmother and a royal ball with a spectacularly unhelpful midnight deadline. The Riverfront advertises £18 Christmas Cracker performances on selected dates, including New Year’s Eve. There’s a relaxed show on 27 December at 5.30pm and a captioned show on 28 December at 1.30pm. The Riverfront tickets and access performances
Peter Pan · ICC Wales, Newport
12 December 2026–2 January 2027. Selected performances include 20 December at 11am (relaxed) and 27 December at 1pm (BSL-interpreted).
Neverland gets the circus treatment here, with aerial performance and comedy magician Martin Daniels as Mr Smee. It’s one for the child who spends every panto studying the rigging and asking how they made Peter fly. ICC Wales dates and tickets
Aladdin · Dolman Theatre, Newport
9–13 February 2027. 7pm from Tuesday to Friday, with a 2.15pm matinee on Saturday.
Newport Pantomime and Musical Society is bringing a magic carpet to the Dolman for February half-term. It’s the local company’s full-length panto, directed by Gerald Needs, with Gareth Rawel Jones as musical director and Emma Anderson as choreographer. Expect a lamp that causes more trouble than it solves, a villain who’ll need keeping an eye on and a good excuse to practise your loudest “He’s behind you!”
Tickets are £15, plus a £2 booking fee per transaction. Dolman Theatre dates and tickets.
The society also has a separate youth production of Disney’s Aladdin Jr. on 20–22 November 2026 at its rehearsal hall.
Peter Pan · Congress Theatre, Cwmbran
11–30 December. Choose your performance through the Congress box office.
Rainbow Valley Productions brings its traditional family panto to Gwent Square. The company was founded by Owen Money MBE and has made a speciality of bringing panto to local theatres across South Wales. Cwmbran gets Hook, the Lost Boys and every opportunity to give the pirates a hard time. Congress Theatre listings
Aladdin · Blackwood Miners’ Institute
4–30 December. Opening night 6.30pm, many holiday dates at 2pm and 6pm, and Christmas Eve at 11.30am and 3pm.
Owen Money’s Rainbow Valley Productions supplies the magic carpet. The opening-night Sultan’s Saving is advertised at £14, with a relaxed show on 10 December at 6pm and BSL performances on 6 December at 2pm and 23 December at 6pm. Aladdin dates and booking
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs · Blackwood Little Theatre
11–13 December. The Friday opening performance is at 7pm.
Blackwood has two pantos to choose from. At the Little Theatre on Woodbine Road, the local company takes on the wicked queen, the poisoned apple and the least tactful mirror in show business. The Little Theatre also lists a live-radio-play version of A Christmas Carol on 13 December, with a small cast taking on Dickens’s crowded world. Snow White tickets · Blackwood Little Theatre programme
Sleeping Beauty · Blaenavon Workmen’s Hall
18–20 December. See the company’s booking page for performance times.
Theatre AdHoc’s local production is a chance to see young performers from Torfaen taking centre stage. The company says members of its children’s theatre workshops make up most of the cast of its annual Blaenavon panto. If you’ve ever wondered where the next generation of Welsh panto performers gets its start, this is a good place to look. Theatre AdHoc listings and booking
Dick Whittington · Beaufort Theatre, Ebbw Vale
16–19 December. Check individual showtimes with the venue.
Dick heads to London to seek his fortune, taking the most employable cat in pantomime along for company. The Beaufort has its own four-day run, handy for families in the northern Valleys. Beaufort Theatre programme
Dick Whittington and Dear Santa · Monmouth
Dick Whittington runs 8–29 December at the Savoy Theatre, with eight performances advertised. Dear Santa runs 11–12 December at the Blake Theatre.
The Savoy produces its own panto and this year promises an underwater scene under UV lighting. Over at the Blake, Santa and a cheeky elf are trying to find the right present for Sarah in a stage adaptation of Rod Campbell’s story. It’s a good pair of choices for families with children at different ages. Savoy Theatre tickets · Blake Theatre programme
A Child’s Christmas in Wales · Borough Theatre, Abergavenny
11 December. See the Borough Theatre programme for the performance time.
This festive show brings together the Christmas writing of Dylan Thomas and Richard Burton. It’s a lovely prospect for anyone whose favourite bit of Christmas is the stories told once everybody’s finally sat down. Abergavenny Pantomime Company’s community Sleeping Beauty is also listed for 8–13 February 2027, for families who fancy a half-term encore. Borough Theatre programme
Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend and Maesteg
Cinderella · Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare, and Park & Dare, Treorchy
Aberdare, 27 November–6 December. Treorchy, 12–24 December. Treorchy has selected weekend shows at noon and 4pm, and Christmas Eve performances at 10.30am and 3pm.
RCT Theatres takes its glass slipper to two venues this season. The Treorchy run has a relaxed show on 13 December at noon and a BSL-interpreted show that afternoon at 4pm. It’s worth checking both venues if you’re trying to get several generations into the same row. RCT Theatres dates and tickets for both venues
Beauty and the Beast · Maesteg Town Hall and The Met, Abertillery
Abertillery, 3–6 December. Maesteg, 11–27 December. See Awen’s listings for individual performances.
Maesteg-born Olivia Thomas makes her pantomime debut as Belle, while Jordan Allan returns to the Abertillery stage where he once performed with a youth company, this time as the Prince and the Beast. Swansea soprano Tara Camm is Witch Hazel, JJ Bennett plays Daffyd Dwl and Jacob Rosoman is Gaviscon. Any fairytale that finds room for a character called Gaviscon is taking its panto duties seriously. Awen cast announcement and venue links · Awen Box Office
Swansea, Neath and the Swansea Valley
Snow White · Swansea Grand Theatre
5 December 2026–3 January 2027. Opening matinee 2pm. See the venue calendar for later performances.
BBC presenter and drummer Owain Wyn Evans is joined by CBeebies favourite Rebecca Keatley, singer and actor Suzanne Shaw, Christian Patterson and Steve Walls. Swansea’s own Kev Johns makes a special digital appearance. Morgiana is the Wicked Queen and, as ever, the Magic Mirror has a lot to answer for. Swansea Grand tickets
Beauty and the Beast · Pontardawe Arts Centre
Family panto, 5–13 December. The separate 18+ production has selected dates 4–16 December.
It’s An Act returns with its annual pantomime. The family version has Belle, an enchanted castle and the sort of villainy that requires immediate audience intervention. The company also has an adults-only edition for anyone who prefers their Christmas night out with considerably cheekier jokes. Check the version before choosing a performance. Pontardawe Arts Centre programme · Adults-only performance dates
Peter Pan · Gwyn Hall, Neath
7–17 January 2027. Check the Gwyn Hall calendar for times and access performances.
Neath Musical Theatre Company’s Neverland adventure keeps the season going after the decorations come down. Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys join Peter for the trip, and the company has auditioned a youth team for the production. The regional panto directory lists relaxed and BSL performances. Gwyn Hall programme · Neath access listing
Carmarthenshire
Dick Whittington · Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen
10–28 December. Selected evening and matinee dates include 18 December at 7pm and 22 December at 2pm, both BSL-signed.
Carmarthen’s Steve Elias returns for his third consecutive year, playing Dame Sarah the Cook. He was nominated for the Stanley Baxter Award for Best Dame at the 2026 Pantomime Awards. Comedian Elis James appears virtually as the Spirit of the Bells, Gareth Elis is Dick, Alice Mayer is Alice Fitzwarren, Shaun McGregor is Twm the Cat, Alexandra George is Queen Rat and Nathan Guy is Idle Jack. Relaxed shows are 16 December at 6pm and 18 December at 10am. Lyric Theatre tickets · Full cast announcement
Hansel & Gretel · Ffwrnes, Llanelli
17–20 December. The venue’s schedule starts 17 December at 7pm and lists a 6pm performance on 20 December.
Llanelli Musical Theatre Group turns Stiwdio Stepni into the woods for its Christmas panto. Any house made of sweets should really come with a surveyor’s report, but Hansel and Gretel have never been strong on due diligence. Carmarthenshire Theatres listings and booking
Rapunzel and Santa’s Best Ever Christmas · Glowyr Theatre, Ammanford
Rapunzel runs 4–6 December, opening at 7pm on Friday, with a 1.30pm Sunday performance listed. Santa’s Best Ever Christmas is on 10 December.
Rapunzel’s tower rises over the Kingdom of Ammalonia, where everyone’s preparing for the arrival of a prince. Santa’s show has a different sort of chaos, courtesy of Dotty the Elf, Pompom the Penguin and Dasher the Reindeer, who all have a theory about what Father Christmas is up to. Carmarthenshire Theatres programme
Aladdin · Pontyberem Memorial Hall
Christmas 2026. Rainbow Valley Productions lists Pontyberem for its magic-carpet adventure. Check with the producer for the hall’s dates and performance times.
The village hall joins Blackwood on the company’s festive programme, bringing traditional panto to the Gwendraeth Valley. Rainbow Valley Productions
Jack and the Beanstalk · Ffwrnes, Llanelli
14–31 January 2027. Opens at 7pm on 14 January, with a noon performance listed on 31 January.
January brings a giant to Llanelli, along with the enduring question of how anybody can be talked into swapping a perfectly good cow for a handful of beans. Ffwrnes listings and booking
Pembrokeshire, Cardigan and Brecon
Puss in Boots · Torch Theatre, Milford Haven
5 December 2026–2 January 2027. Many shows at 2pm and 6pm. Christmas Eve at noon and 4pm, New Year’s Eve at 2pm.
The Torch sends its swaggering cat to the Wild West of Wales. It’s a new, home-produced panto with original songs and a professional cast. The family-friendly feline puns are already doing brisk business. The 19 December 2pm show is relaxed and 22 December at 6pm is BSL-interpreted. Torch Theatre cast, showtimes and tickets
Peter Pan · Boulevard Theatre, Milford Haven
10–31 December. The waterfront listing advertises 2pm on 10 December. Check the ticket calendar for other sessions.
The Big Pembrokeshire Panto is back for its fifth year, with Welsh tenor Wynne Evans on the bill and Captain Hook, Mrs Smee and Wendy among the Neverland regulars. Two pantos in one town means Milford Haven families can choose between pirates and a cowboy cat. Big Pembrokeshire Panto tickets
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz · Mwldan, Cardigan
20–29 December. Check Mwldan for individual performances.
Just across the Teifi from Pembrokeshire, Cardigan Theatre’s community panto takes the yellow brick road. Dorothy has a scarecrow, a tin man and a lion for company, which is a pretty good turnout considering all she wants is a lift home. Mwldan dates and tickets
The Nutcracker · Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon
18–20 December. 7.30pm on Friday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Brecon Festival Ballet fields more than 80 dancers and a live orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s Christmas favourite. Principal casting varies, with Lowri Shone, Joshua Feist and Natasha Trigg among the names across the run. For a child who’d rather see snowflakes dance than shout at Captain Hook, this is their Christmas outing. Performance details and booking
Putting on a panto or festive stage show in South Wales? Tell South Wales Life the venue, dates, curtain-up times, who’s in it and where readers can book. Village halls, youth groups and amateur companies are welcome.
