Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem at Stratford East: cast announced for 2026 panto

Ashley Joseph will play the title role in Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem, the 2026 pantomime at Theatre Royal Stratford East, which runs from Saturday 21 November 2026 to Saturday 2 January 2027. Stratford East announced the full cast and creative team on 25 September 2026, and the company was reported the same day by WhatsOnStage and BroadwayWorld. The new show is written by BAFTA-nominated writer Yolanda Mercy and directed by Olivier Award winner Jade Lewis, the theatre's associate artistic director, with music and lyrics by Robert Hyman and set and costume design by Stewart J Charlesworth.

Billed as an East London pantomime, the production moves the outlaws of Sherwood Forest to the streets, stations, shops and estates around E15. Performances, prices and access dates are on the official Stratford East page for Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem, where tickets are on sale now.

Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem cast at Stratford East

Joseph leads a company of seven principals. Joining Joseph are Toyin Ayedun-Alase as the Mayor, Eshan Gopal as Lil John Jr, Daniel Jacob as Muva, Nickcolia King-N'da as Will Scarlet, Kandaka Moore as FT and Helen K Wint as Marian.

Joseph will be a familiar face to younger viewers from the CBeebies programmes JoJo & Gran Gran and Justin's House. The announcement also lists previous Stratford East credits in The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, Robin Hood and The Blacks, so this is a return to a stage the actor already knows.

Ayedun-Alase's theatre credits include The Clinic at the Almeida and Much Ado About Nothing for the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican. Gopal brings West End musical experience from The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium and Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre. Jacob is known to musical theatre audiences from Everybody's Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre and on tour, and to television viewers from RuPaul's Drag Race UK on the BBC.

King-N'da's credits include Cruel Intentions at The Other Palace and The Provoked Wife and Venice Preserved for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Moore has appeared in Cake at the Lyric Theatre and in ZooNation's Sylvia at the Old Vic. Wint's West End credits include Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! at Wyndham's Theatre.

The theatre's cast list also sets out the understudy arrangements within the company. Gopal covers Robin and Will Scarlet, Moore covers Marian and Muva, and Wint covers the Mayor.

The creative team behind the 2026 Stratford East panto

Mercy's writing credits include Queenie for Channel 4 and Disney, and Failure Project at Soho Theatre. Lewis directed Sleepova at the Bush Theatre and Superhoe at the Royal Court, and she has said this is the first piece of theatre she has directed at Stratford East, both as an artist and as the theatre's associate artistic director. Lewis describes Mercy as a collaborator throughout her career.

Hyman and Charlesworth are long-standing names in the Stratford East pantomime story, and the theatre describes both as panto legends. Hyman's association with the Christmas show goes back many years: when British Theatre reviewed Sinbad the Sailor at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2016, he was leading the band as music director.

The rest of the creative team features choreographer Jade Hackett, lighting designer Craig West, sound designer Conrad Kira, musical director Rachel Wells, casting director Rob Kelly and costume supervisor Chantal Short. Wells will be joined in the band by Sara Farina on bass and Perry Melius on drums.

What the director and artistic director said

In the announcement, as reported by WhatsOnStage, Lewis said: "I believe that theatre is for everyone and families have a right to access theatre spaces, which makes directing a panto such an honour and a privilege, especially working with Stratford East Panto royalty Rob Hyman and Stewart Charlesworth."

She continued: "Yolanda Mercy is an incredible artist, whom I have collaborated with throughout my career, and I am elated to be welcoming her to the wonderful world of Stratford East to create a fun, dynamic, classic Stratford pantomime. Our cast and creative team are iconic in their own field which makes this collaboration a dream!"

Stratford East artistic director Lisa Spirling said: "Here at Stratford East, we take panto very, very seriously! Each year a brand-new pantomime is created especially for our audiences in Newham and beyond. This year we are delighted to bring Robin Hood to East London and to see them and their Merry Mandem let loose on our stage."

Spirling added that the team had "come together with Stratford panto legends Rob Hyman (music) and Stewart Charlesworth (design) to create a pantomime that is as irreverent, clever and magical as ever."

The story: from Sherwood Forest to E15

The theatre's own synopsis sets the scene in modern Stratford. "Stratford is buzzing. The lights are glowing. And deep in the heart of E15, a new kind of hero is taking off their blazer and putting on a hoodie," it begins. The Merry Mandem zip across East London, rolling through Maryland, dodging the Central line rush and keeping a close eye on anyone trying to ship them off to a terrible place at the far end of the line.

At its heart the story keeps the spirit of the legend. Robin and the crew take from the rich, back the poor and show Stratford what happens when everyday people stand together. The theatre promises stunning sets and costumes and rip-roaring comedy, and the artwork adds a signpost pointing to Stratford and the Sherwood Estate for good measure.

As Spirling notes, the Stratford East pantomime is created new each year especially for audiences in Newham and beyond, which is why this year's Robin Hood is so firmly rooted in the local area. For a wider view of the season, our guide to the best pantomimes in the UK looks at what makes a great panto and which venues produce the strongest work.

Dates, tickets and access performances

Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem opens on Saturday 21 November 2026 at 7pm and plays until Saturday 2 January 2027 at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, London E15 1BN. The official listing shows most tickets priced from £10 to £41.50, with a Pay What You Can performance on Thursday 26 November, priced from £6 to £40. The theatre says prices rise as the auditorium fills and recommends booking early.

Demand is already strong. Many of the weekday school matinees are sold out, and a number of public performances are already marked as selling fast or sold out on the theatre's website. School groups book by calling the box office on 020 8534 0310.

The show is billed as suitable for all ages, with a running time of approximately two hours plus an interval, to be confirmed. Scheduled access performances are:

• BSL interpreted: Friday 11 December 2026 at 6.30pm
• Captioned: Friday 18 December 2026 at 6.30pm
• Audio described: Saturday 19 December 2026 at 12pm
• Relaxed performance: Saturday 2 January 2027 at 12pm

Concessions are available for under-17s, and children under two can sit on a lap for £1 by booking through the box office. The theatre recommends that under-fives sit in the Stalls or Dress Circle rather than the Upper Circle. Members and Friends receive 20% off when booking two or more shows at the same time.

Full performance times and availability are on the official Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem page at Stratford East. For more festive casting news from the capital, read our report on the cast of the Hackney Empire's 25th annual pantomime.