Panto roars back.
Pantomime producers have reported increased ticket sales since the pandemic lockdowns began, hailing the increases as being “back to business” for the traditionally successful season.
Despite the heightened cost of living impacting many across the country, leading panto companies including Evolution and Crossroads said audiences continued to flock to their annual festive treats.
Crossroads Live has had a very good year, claiming sales of more than 4.5 million tickets across its 39 productions and 23 pantomimes.
The company’s festive wing remains the world’s largest pantomime producer, and has seen its London Palladium 2024 offering, Robin Hood, become the fastest-selling panto at the central venue since it began offering the Christmas show nine years prior.
Chair David Ian said: “Panto holds a special place in people’s hearts. It’s a lot of people’s first experience of theatre and so, as they get older, they want to share that with their own family.”
“Getting together at your local venue at Christmas and enjoying star performers, glitzy costumes and all the gags – what could be more festive than that?” he added.
Crossroads Pantomimes chief executive Michael Harrison, who is contracted to open 23 shows across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland this year, said the London Palladium production had opened to more than 9,100 audience members in its opening weekend alone.
Meanwhile, Crossroads’ forthcoming Aladdin at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal took more than £1.5 million in ticket sales in just four days of tickets for the 2025 production going on offer.
Harrison said: “We saw packed houses at openings around the country. We head into Christmas with confidence that we’ll be having a stellar season.”
Emily Wood, alongside her husband Paul Hendy, said that the company’s 10 pantos were currently selling so well that they were “on average” around 3,000 tickets up in each venue compared with previous years.
Meanwhile, sales for next year’s tabled shows are also markedly strong, with keen audiences for the 2025 Evolution production at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre already having bought some 25,000 tickets.
Wood said: “It’s really heartening. It feels like everywhere’s back to business after the pandemic.”
“People really value it and they do save for it,” she said. “They are willing to spend on something they can do for the whole family.”
Jordan Productions estimated it had seen a 49% growth in ticket sales across its venues over the past three ye ars.
Chris Jordan, the company’s managing director, said: “I have to say, we are having a very good year. I’ve always been of the opinion that pantomime and Christmas entertainment is bulletproof.”
Jordan suggested the annual entertainment had benefitted from an increased profile. He said: “I think panto has generally upped its game over the past few years. People were perhaps of the opinion 10 years ago that panto was just for kids.”
The advent of regular pantomime at the London Palladium and the UK Panto Awards had bolstered the art form in the eyes of the public, he said.
Steve Boden, joint chief executive and managing director at Imagine Theatre, described seeing “the return of slightly earlier booking” and “stronger advances” after the disruption of Covid-19.
“We’re also seeing particularly strong sales on the affordable performances,” Boden said. He added: “It’s taken a long time since the pandemic began for people’s confidence to recover.”
