All the festive and family shows across North London this Christmas

From West to East it takes in comedy, circus, musical theatre and delightful family shows with a smattering of Charles Dickens:

Cinderella at The King’s Head Theatre

Billed as Islington’s new family panto, Cinders’ rags to riches journey stars Drag Race UK’s Ella Vaday and the voices of Dame Judi Dench and Miriam Margolyes. It’s set back when N1 was home to healing wells and pleasure gardens, and cheekily names the ugly sisters Dalston and Peckham.

November 30th to January 5th kingsheadtheatre.com

Horrible Christmas at Alexandra Palace Theatre

The folk behind Rotten Romans and Terrible Tudors bring their hair-raising version of history alive on Ally Pally’s stage, complete with Victorian villains, Medieval monks and Puritan parties on the way to helping one young boy save Christmas with the help of Charles Dickens, Henry VIII and St Nicholas himself.

December 12th until January 4th alexandrapalace.com

Dick Whittington and His Cat runs at The Hackney Empire Theatre (Image: Perou) Dick Whittington and his Cat at The Hackney Empire

Empire stalwarts Clive Rowe and Kat B are back for the Empire’s 25th panto with a deserved rep as one of London’s brightest and best. The story of future Lord Mayor Dick, his rat chomping cat (Kat B) and Sarah The Cook (Rowe) is guaranteed to astonish with singalongs, custard pies, spectacular sets and song and dance numbers.

November 23rd to January 5th. hackneyempire.co.uk

Goldie Frocks and The Bear Mitzvah at JW3

For the second year running the Finchley Road centre is staging a Jewish panto with original script, lashings of Jewish jokes and cultural references, and Klezmer-style pop hits by Jewish performers and composers. Goldie works in the East End rag trade for evil sweatshop owner Calvin Brine, but he has snatched Baby Behr just before his Bear Mitzvah, hoping to make a magic new bearskin coat.

December 8th to January 5th jw3.org.uk

Christmas Comes to Moominvalley at Jacksons Lane

The Highgate arts centre has the blessing of Tove Jansson’s estate on the 80th anniversary of the Moomin’s first appearance to adapt her story The Fir Tree into an enchanting children’s show. It sees lovable trolls The Moomins awoken from their sleep to be told that Christmas is coming – the only trouble is they don’t know what it is. As you would expect from Jacksons Lane, the story of tolerance and kindness is told with circus, magical music and charming storytelling for ages 3-103.

December 6th until January 5th jacksonslane.org.uk

The Singing Mermaid and Rosie Robin & The Christmas Post at Little Angel

Islington’s much-loved puppet theatre stages two festive shows; The Singing Mermaid (November 23rd to January 26th) is a warm hearted joyful musical adventure which brings Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monk’s popular story to life with puppetry and music by Barb Jungr.  Also playing is the story of Rosie Robin, working hard to deliver the post at the busiest time of year who gets blown off course by a stowstorm in Clover Leaf Wood. Told with physical performance, song and puppetry this magical heart-warming show ll the animals must come together to make sure the mail arrives on time.

23rd Nov until January 5th littleangeltheatre.com

Potted Panto runs at Wiltons Music Hall in East London. (Image: Geraint Lewis) Potted Panto at Wilton’s Music Hall

The West End’s long running Olivier-nominated panto moves to the East End over Christmas – compressing seven classic pantomimes into 80 hilarious minutes. Buckle up for a madcap ride with a double act who dash from rubbing Aladdin’s lamp to roaming Dick Whittington’s London, and making sure Cinderella gets to the ball.

December 4th until January 4th wiltons.org.uk

A Sherlock Christmas Carol at Marylebone Theatre

Returning to the Baker Street venue for the third year, Mark Shanahan’s mash up of Dickens and Conan Doyle includes a genuine festive mystery for Ben Caplan’s great detecting consultant to solve. He’s a bah humbug figure, recovering from events at the Reichenbach Falls when grown up Tiny Tim urges him to investigate the murder of his benefactor Ebenezer Scrooge.

November 29th until January 5th marylebonetheatre.com

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells

Nearly thirty years on from its premiere, New Adventures bill their rule-breaking all male take on the classic ballet as ‘The Next Generation’. It features Tchaikovsky’s haunting score and a new batch of young dancers creating the menacing male swan ensemble.

December 3 to January 26th, sadlerswells.com

Gwyneth Goes Skiing at The Pleasance

Back for a second year, the show for teenagers and upwards is an hilarious takedown of the notorious accident on the slopes of Deer Valley between a Hollywood superstar and a retired optometrist from Utah. With original music and a video appearance by drag icon Trixie Mattel this viral hit by Queer theatre group Awkward Productions embraces chaos and comedy.

December 11th to December 21st pleasance.co.uk

Road Show at Upstairs at the Gatehouse

With music and lyrics by the great Stephen Sondheim, and book by John Weidman this musical tells the story of two brothers driven by their father’s dying wish to find their fortunes in the New World at the dawn of the 20th Century – taking them across America from the Klondike Gold Rush to the Florida Real Estate boom.

December 12th until January 12th upstairsatthegatehouse.com

Cyrano at Park Theatre

For ages 14 and up Aussie star Virginia Gay who writes and stars won five star reviews and a Fringe First at Edinburgh for this joyous, gender flipping retelling of Edmond Rostand’s classic tale. Packed with music, romance, and irreverence, it’s an uplifting and hopeful story about a wordsmith and charmer who yearns for the brilliant and beautiful Roxanne, who only has eyes for brawn and no brains Yan.

December 11th until January 11th parktheatre.co.uk

Bette and Joan at Park Theatre 90

In the Finsbury Park venue’s smaller space, real life screen star Greta Scacchi takes on Hollywood icon Bette Davis opposite Felicity Dean’s Joan Crawford in Anton Burge’s tale of the titanic clash of egos on the set of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? It’s 1962, both careers are in the doldrums, and the acerbic put-downs and thought-provoking revelations are flying.

December 3rd Until January 11th parktheatre.co.uk

Hold on to Your Butts at Arcola Theatre

65 million years ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth, 30 years ago, a movie about dinosaurs ruled the box office. This “painfully funny” show is a “shot-for-shot” parody of the greatest dinosaur film of all time. Sold out in New York then the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this wildly inventive tour-de-force of Foley sound and physical theatre comes to Hackney for the festive season.

December 10th to January 4th arcolatheatre.com

The Gruffalo’s Child and The Fir Tree at Arts Depot

A new generation can be charmed by Tall Story’s long running adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s storybook, which sees The Gruffalo’s child venturing out into the snowy wood. With puppetry, scary fun and original music it’s suitable for ages 3 and up while The Fir Tree (December 12th-31)  is a sensory adapted family show that playfully re-tells Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of a little fir tree hoping to be grown up, fusing live music and song, live foley sound effects and puppetry.

December 3rd until January 5th artsdepot.co.uk

Pinocchio at Theatre Royal Stratford East

Join wooden puppet Pinocchio and his creator Gepetto on his quest to become a boy. This family show sees Blue Rinse Fairy and Krik Krak the Cricket try to keep him on track as he battles trials and tribulations.

November 23rd until January 4th stratfordeast.com