Scotland’s Panto Season – Our Top Picks for 2025

As the nights fair draw in, it’s panto time. With more dodgy jokes than a pack of Aldi Christmas Crackers, it’s down to what you like as to what appeals. So here are a few, there are plenty more to choose from out there, where buying a ticket and going to see them will help spread creative joy for the whole year. A huge percentage of theatres’ annual income comes from the sale of panto tickets supporting the theatre for the rest of the year – it’s not just for Christmas! If you don’t know, now you know.

We take you from the big names to the one’s worth taking a chance on – from big budget to dealing with local expectations… So, in no particular order, if you fancy a wee visit on a cauld night, here are a few we think are worthy of your attention.  

Big names and recognisable stars are the thing at the Kings in Glasgow, with Elaine C Smith alongside Johnny Mac, in more Govan-fied than Disney-fied The Little Mermaid  (till 4th January). Whilst up at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen, you can catch Cinderella with Strictly Winner Joe McFadden and Dawn Steele. (till 4th January).

Something with a twist? Try Ayr’s own Gaiety panto (CATS inaugural panto award winner 2024) Alladdie by Fraser Boyle  (till 4th January), or to the Royal Lyceum where Cinderella: A Fairytale (Sally Cookson, Adam Peck, and the Original Company, till 3rd January) is in town with puppetry, music, dance and everyone gets to go to the Ball! One has a clear tartan influence, the other has the majesty of its Lyceum home. 

This year’s ‘official’ Paisley panto is back home at the Paisley Arts Centre – after a multi-million pound refurbishment –with Snow White  (till 5th January) with the Queen’s Magic Mirror and a DIY Obsessed Heroine, whilst East Ayrshire’s Sleeping Beauty  (till 28th December) is in the Galleon Auditorium in Kilmarnock. Both are hugely traditional with plenty of local references.

Are ye an innie or an outie? Panto stalwart Johnny McKnight can be found IN the Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling with Weans in the Wood, (till 3rd January) which is based upon the Hansel and Gretel fairytale whilst Johnny is OOT the Tron, though he wrote the thing, with Gallus in Weegieland (till 4th January) which is based on Alice in Wonderland. In one, Hansel has got to save the pantosphere whilst in the other Alice gets Gallus and saves a reimagined Glasgow. Both are fast paced and highly modern. 

If you really want to spend and make a difference, then with Cumbernauld Theatre fighting for its life, you’ll not go far wrong with Jester and Ginger’s first panto, Baltic,  (till 24th December), a Scottish version of Disney’s Frozen, whilst the recently reopened Citizens, who always did more of a Christmas Show than a straight up panto, has their take on Beauty and the Beast  (till 31st December). Both with the Disney versions but that disney matter here… [Ed: Disney… sighs]

And, if you fancy something really different, then you have Theatre 118 and the Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre offering a couple of short run options. Theatre 118’s first ever panto is Jack and the Privately Owned Beanstalk (11th to 13th December), which is an irreverent love letter to panto. Or you can visit the Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre where Jackie Buttercup, Tommy Cooper, and the Giant’s Castle appear in their one off puppet filled panto, Jackie and the Beanstalk (only on 14th December). 

Rather not see a panto? In Edinburgh, the Traverse brings you Dancing Shoes,  (till 20th December) a heartfelt comedy drama about friendship, fame and finding your feet as Donnie’s viral YouTube video brings unexpected fame. Or, if you like a bit of Edelweiss, The Sound of Music (till 21st December) is at Pitlochry Theatre where, on the cusp of World War II, the Von Trapps are trying to escape the Nazis. You know the story.