MAKE YOUR WISHES COME TRUE THIS CHRISTMAS AT THE FORUM’S PANTO
By Catherine Ming | Nov 19, 2024 | News
The countdown is on at the Millennium Forum as the cast and crew of this year’s Christmas pantomime get ready for the biggest panto yet! Already, over 20,000 tickets have been booked to see Aladdin at the North West’s leading cultural venue as local audiences prepare for a fun-filled festive extravaganza this Christmas. This year, audiences can also look forward to a Christmas Eve matinee performance for the very first time, allowing everyone to get extra Christmassy before Santa arrives!
David McLaughlin, Chief Executive of the Millennium Forum and writer/producer of Aladdin, is excited for everyone to see this year’s production. He said:
“Christmas pantomimes have always been at the heart of the Derry Christmas and this tradition has continued at the Forum from when we hosted our very first panto back in 2001. Since then, generations of families have enjoyed magical Christmas memories at our theatre and this year promises to be no exception. We have a fantastic show lined up that I know everyone (young and old) will enjoy. With our incredibly talented cast, fantastic song and dance routines, great comedy, amazing special effects, Makaton song and lots more, Aladdin is set to be our biggest panto yet. Tickets are already selling fast, so I would encourage everyone to secure their seats soon to avoid disappointment.”
Mags Anderson, Education Officer & Schools Marketing Officer, added:
“As always, we are incredibly grateful to welcome lots of schools to our panto who travel from all over the country. This year, we have schools from Tyrone, Donegal, Antrim, Ballymoney and Fermanagh travelling to see Aladdin and we even have three groups coming from as far away as Co Leitrim! This is incredible and is testament to our reputation of producing the best quality panto show that the North West region has to offer and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone for a fun-filled few hours at the theatre this Christmas.”
Proudly sponsored by the Richmond Centre, Aladdin flies into the city’s premier theatre (by magic carpet, of course) for the annual festive family show which runs from Friday 29th November until Tuesday 31st December. The Christmas Eve matinee performance at 1.30pm will allow local audiences to experience the festive magic in anticipation for Santa’s arrival later that night.
The North West’s biggest panto sees the return of Conal Gallen, this time in the role of the (ahem) beautiful Dame Widow Twankey in this year’s extravaganza, Aladdin. Joining Conal onstage is the cream of local talent with Dylan Reid as Aladdin, Aodhan Kehoe as is loveable sidekick, Wishy Washy, Corrie Earley as Princess Jasmine, Karen Hawthorne as the evil Abanazar, Matthew McLaughlin as PC Donut, Niamh Morrison as the Genie of the Lamp, Eoin Callaghan as The Emperor and Lily O’Regan as the Slave of the Ring, plus a hugely talented ensemble cast.
Make your wishes come true this Christmas and treat the family to the must-see show of the festive season. Come with us to pantoland where evil sorcerer, Abanazar, seeks the magic lamp to bring him untold wealth and power. Can Aladdin save the day? Will Wishy Washy and the Genie of the Lamp help our hero? Will Princess Jasmine find the boy of her dreams? Will Widow Twankey finally wear something that doesn’t look like an explosion in a paint factory?
This magical adventure story will be brought to life in the Forum’s spectacular production complete with stunning sets, beautiful costumes and lots of comedy. Book your seats now for the carpet ride of a lifetime!
Aladdin performs at the Millennium Forum from Fri 29th November until Tues 31st December. Tickets are now available and are priced from £12.50. A number of accessible performances are also available as well as a Makaton song in each performance. Telephone the Box Office on 71 264455 (option 1) or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings.
ENDS