A Brief History Of Pantomime At The London Palladium
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(Updated on 20 Aug 2025)
If there’s one thing more iconic than the [Palladium’s](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/london-palladium-london) legendary revolving stage, it’s the venue’s century-long love affair with [pantomime](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/tickets/pantomime). The first ever panto to tread its hallowed boards was *Dick Whittington and His Cat* in 1914, and the tradition quickly became a fixture of London’s festive season. From then on, the Palladium became synonymous with Christmas magic, hosting a dazzling roster of pantomimes that combined star power, lavish spectacle, and the kind of joyous chaos that only panto can deliver.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, [*Cinderella*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/cinderella-tickets) has been the Palladium’s most enduring fairytale. Since its first outing in 1915, the rags-to-riches classic has been staged nine times at the theatre. And what a guest list it boasted! Over the decades, audiences thrilled to see a roll call of British entertainment royalty take part: **Julie Andrew**s, **Jon Pertwee**, **Ronnie Corbett**, **Des O’Connor**, **Tommy Trinder**, **Evelyn Laye**, **George** & **Bert Bernard**, **Max Bygraves**, **Terry Scott**, **Richard O’Sullivan**, **Brian Murphy**, **Dame Anna Neagle**, **Paul Nicholas** – and, in one particularly unforgettable staging, *The Adorable Tanya*, a live baby elephant who stole the show. Only in panto!
But *Cinderella* was far from the only story to weave its spell at the Palladium. *Aladdin* and *Dick Whittington* have each been staged six times, while *Babes in the Wood* charmed audiences across four separate productions. The Palladium became the gold standard for pantomimes, famed for spectacular sets, elaborate costumes, and surprise celebrity appearances. By the mid-20th century, a Christmas trip to the Palladium panto had become a family tradition for Londoners and tourists alike.
What makes pantomime so beloved is its uniquely British blend of slapstick comedy, audience participation (“Oh yes it is!”), gender-bending dames, sparkling musical numbers, topical jokes, and a wink-nudge sense of mischief that delights children and adults in equal measure. The Palladium’s productions embodied that spirit on the grandest scale – with chorus lines, special effects, and a starry mix of West End favourites, music hall veterans, and TV personalities.
Remarkably, in the Palladium’s first 73 years (1914–1987), there were only 15 years without a pantomime. But after the curtain fell on *Babes in the Wood* in 1987, the theatre stepped away from the tradition for nearly three decades. That was until 2016, when the panto returned in triumphant fashion with *Cinderella*, produced by Qdos Entertainment, re-establishing the Palladium as the West End’s festive panto capital once more. Since then, annual pantomimes have again become a fixture, bringing modern stars like **Julian Clary**, **Dawn French**, **Nigel Havers**, and **Jennifer Saunders** into the pantomime canon, proving the form is as glittering and mischievous as ever.