Irish Christmas fairs you have to visit this festive season
And yes, as the familiar jingle goes, this is no ordinary panto – it’s the Gaiety Panto!
The Gaiety has hosted a Christmas Panto each year since 1873 and this year’s offering runs from November 29th to January 10th next. Little Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf features legendary panto dame Jo Conlon, celebrating his 26th year in the industry and plenty of big eyes, big ears, and big teeth – all the better for seeing, listening and laughing with...
Tickets from €19.50 (including booking fee). Gaiety Theatre Box Office: Open Monday to Saturday from 10am-7pm and Sunday from 10am-6pm. 0818 719388 or Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.ie www.gaietytheatre.ie
The APPLEGREEN Christmas Panto; Freezin’ - The Story of the Snow Queen, runs at The Olympia Theatre from Friday December 18th to Sunday January 10th, featuring an all-star cast with comedian Al Porter as Lolly Polly.
Matinee and evening shows most days: more information on www.olympia.ie Tickets from €25 including booking fee on sale at www.olympia.ie/whats-on/freezin-the-panto/ Theatre Box Office, and by calling Ticketmaster at The Olympia Phone Bookings on 0818 719 330.
Running at the Tivoli Theatre from December 9th 2015 - 10th January 2016 this production is billed as Ireland’s Funniest Panto.
Beauty and The Beast features Alan Hughes as Sammy Sausages & Rob Murphy as the Daddy mad Buffy, Michele McGrath as Belle, Donal Brennan as The Beast, Carl Stallwood as Garcon.
Tickets €15 upwards, booking and information at www.panto.ie or phone The Tivoli Theatre Booking Office at 01 4544472
A smouldering West End heartthrob is about to set the panto stage alight as the leading man in Jack and the Beanstalk at The Helix Theatre this festive season.
Bray native Niall Sheehy, whose good looks and stunning voice have won him starring roles in Les Miserables, Wicked and Miss Saigon plays Jack in the panto which runs from Friday November 27th to Sunday January 10th.
Tickets from €18.50 upwards; for more information visit www.thehelix.ie/event/jack-the-beanstalk/ and click “Buy Tickets” to see performance dates or check with the box office on 01 7007000 or email info@thehelix.dcu.ie
A special Christmas Kingdom reigns in the Dublin suburb of Malahide from November 20th until January 3rd.
This seaside Winter Wonderland features Santa’s Grotto, a 2,200 sq foot ice rink, real reindeer, a quaint ‘Dickens’ Street, and a Christmas Market offering all the sights and smells of Christmas from unique arts and crafts to aromatic mulled wine and hot chocolate.
Take the kids for a ride on the Polar Express, skate on a real ice rink, browse the Christmas markets and even meet Bubbles the elf and Rudolf, along with some real reindeer.
The little ones can even their Santa letters at the Polar Post Office. The Christmas Kingdom is open every weekend from November 20th and every day from December 18th until 23rd.
- Entry to the Christmas Kingdom is free of charge. Santa Visits cost €10 for adults, €18 for children More information www.ChristmasKingdom.ie
Get the festive season off to a glowing start with Cork’s 12-day Glow A Cork Christmas Celebration which runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from November 27th until December 20th. It offers everything from a giant Ferris Wheel in the city’s Grand Parade, to a vintage carousel, plus a free family-friendly Christmas wonderland at Bishop Lucey Park. The park will be transformed into Santa’s Workshop with elves playing and working and a multitude of interactive and live toys on display.
There will be a post-box direct to the North Pole and a Polar Express toy train. The Wonderland, which has been specially created by SPRAOI, will be open from 4pm to 8pm Friday to Sunday for the duration of the festival.
For more information visit www.corkchristmascelebration.ie/
Will good triumph over evil and will the Beast find true love?
These questions are answered amidst much song, dance and spectacle at Cork Opera House’s Beauty and the Beast, which runs from 7pm between Thursday December 10th to January 17th.
- Tickets: €25-€30 Family Rate: €80-100. For more information visit www.corkoperahouse.ie or call the Opera House Box Office at 021 4270022.
Directed and conducted by John O’ Brien and presented by Evelyn Grant this seasonal performance takes place at 8pm on Monday December 21st, promising a selection of festive music and song featuring an array of seasonal favourites and talented vocalists and musicians.
Soloists include Majella Cullagh, Ronald Samm and Karen Underwood accompanied by Marja Gaynor (viola), Dave Whitla (bass) and Alex Petcu Colon (percussion).
They will be joined on stage by The Voice Effect, The Ballyphehane Presentation Secondary Choir and Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh Cailíní Primary School Choir.
- Tickets: €18.50/€20/€22.50. For more information visit www.corkoperahouse.ie or call the Opera House Box Office at 021 4270022.
A flying carpet, a cheeky genie, a beautiful princess and a gaggle of irresistible baddies not to mention an exotic trip to the Far East… it could only be Aladdin.
Running from December 5th to January 10th, the year’s offering is staged by the same team that brought you last year’s smash hit, Cinderella.
- Tickets €26 and upwards. Magic Monday €17. For more information visit www.everymancork.com, email info@everymancork.com or phone 021 4501673.
- Wish has just opened its doors again for Cork’s ultimate Santa experience at Fota Island Resort. Olivia Buckley has again worked her magic to bring a winter wonderland to the southern capital. www.fotawish.ie
It is a little known fact that Santa Claus has a North Pole Outpost located in County Cork – in fact, Santa’s elves have already started arriving at Cuskinny Court near Cobh to prepare for the busy Christmas period. From tomorrow, Santa’s helpers will open the doors of The Cork North Pole Outpost Experience to boys and girls who would like to visit the Elf Workshop and see Santa Claus in the lead up to Christmas.
Set deep in the woods on the Great Island near Cobh, Santa will visit the Cork North Pole Outpost every day from the end of November right up to the day before Christmas Eve.
Set in a private 17 acre estate deep in the woods, The Elf Express runs daily from November 29th at Cuskinny Court to the Cork North Pole Outpost.
- www.northpolecork.com
Renmore’s 37th Pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk runs at the Town Hall Theatre Galway from December 29th to January 10th for a total of 19 performances. For information on dates and times visit www.tht.ie Tickets €16/€14.
- Bookings: Town Hall Theatre, Galway (091-569777) or visit www.tht.ie
This year’s offering at the Glór Theatre, Ennis is Aladdin. Enjoying an action-packed adventure through Arabia are Killian James Fitzgerald as hero Aladdin and his forbidden love and the captivating Molly Cantwell as Princess Jasmine.
- Tickets €15 and up for the panto, which runs Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23 and Sunday December 27 - Wednesday 30. For more information visist www.glor.ie, email info@glor.ie or phone 065 6843103
The renowned Killorglin panto – this year it’s Ma Dame Butterfly aka Mrs Aladdin – is traditionally a fast moving comedy boasting colourful costumes lively music and Strictly Come Dancing choreography along with a chorus/ensemble of more than 40 singers/dancers. Opening in KCYMS Killorglin on January 16th, with matinees on the 16th 17th and 24th, there are also nightly performances from Wednesday January 20th to Saturday January 23rd and in INEC Killarney on Sunday January 31st.
- Tickets from the Panto booking office from Monday January 4th at KCYMS or by calling 066 9790961.
- Tickets for INEC, Killarney performance ticketmaster.ie or by contacting the INEC on 064 6671555.
From the team that created last year’s sell out-show Jack and the Beanstalk comes this year’s much anticipated pantomime Sleeping Beauty, starring Keith Duffy, George McMahon, Richie Hayes, Hilda Fay, Leanne Moore and many more.
Performances of the UCH Limerick Panto run from December 16th to January 3rd at the University Concert Hall, University of Limerick. Tickets : €15 and upwards. For more information visit:
- www.uch.ie/event/sleeping-beauty/
Mary Immaculate College of Education, Limerick Limerick Panto Society will stage their 31st annual production Goldilocks…the Circus Panto at the Lime Tree Theatre from Sunday December 27th to Sunday January 3rd. There will be a circus feel right through the production which features RTÉ Children’s TV presenter Emma O’Driscoll as Goldilocks.
- Tickets €17 upwards. www.limetreetheatre.ie or contact the Box Office on 061 774 774.
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