Jack and the Beanstalk

Richmond panto 2026: Jack and the Beanstalk at Richmond Theatre

Bonnie Langford, Dr Ranj and Basil Brush star in Jack and the Beanstalk, the Christmas 2026 pantomime at Richmond Theatre, running from Saturday 5 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. It is produced by Crossroads Pantomimes, the team behind Richmond's festive productions each year, with Lloyd Hollett as Silly Simon and musical theatre performer James Hume making his panto dame debut as Dame Trot.

The story and what to expect

Doomed to sell the family's trusty cow, Jack swaps her for a handful of beans that turn out to be anything but ordinary. Overnight a beanstalk of gigantic proportions grows into the sky, and Jack climbs it to Cloudland, where an evil giant guards riches beyond his wildest dreams. To bring them home, Jack has to outwit the giant and his wife. Crossroads promises laughs, music, special effects and plenty of audience participation.

Cast

Bonnie Langford plays the giant's wife, Mrs Blunderbore. She is currently starring as Mrs Bird in Paddington The Musical at the Savoy Theatre, has returned as Melanie Bush in Doctor Who and won Best Newcomer at the 2015 British Soap Awards for playing Carmel Kazemi in EastEnders. Her stage credits include Les Misérables, 42nd Street, Cats, Chicago and Spamalot.

Dr Ranj plays the Spirit of the Beans. A practising NHS doctor who appears on BBC Morning Live, he has competed on Strictly Come Dancing, recently played Lance Du Bois in the UK tour of &Juliet and has panto credits at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, Birmingham Hippodrome, Theatre Royal Nottingham, the Churchill Theatre in Bromley and the Bradford Alhambra.

Basil Brush returns by popular demand for a second Richmond panto season as Farmer Basil. The fox has entertained generations with his trademark "Boom! Boom!" since his television debut in 1963.

Lloyd Hollett plays Silly Simon. His comedy career spans more than 30 years, including 25 consecutive pantomime seasons and three seasons hosting the Thursford Christmas Spectacular.

James Hume plays Dame Trot, his first outing as a pantomime dame.

Dates and times

The run opens on Saturday 5 December 2026 with performances at 2pm and 7pm, followed by 1pm and 5.30pm on Sunday 6 December. In the first full week there are performances at 1pm and 7pm from Tuesday 8 to Thursday 10 December. The final performance is on Sunday 3 January 2027 at 5.30pm. Times for the rest of the run vary by day.

Who is it for (age guidance and running time)

Jack and the Beanstalk is a family pantomime, with a giant, a cow, a dame and a famous fox. Age guidance and the running time are both to be announced by the venue. Children under 18 months can sit on an adult's lap with a babes in arms ticket, without a seat of their own.

Accessible performances

A British Sign Language interpreted performance is on Thursday 10 December 2026 at 7pm, and an audio described performance is on Wednesday 30 December 2026 at 5.30pm. Relaxed and captioned performances are to be announced by the venue.

Panto at Richmond Theatre

Crossroads Pantomimes stages Richmond Theatre's festive production each year, and Basil Brush is back for a second season. Bonnie Langford has a long connection with the venue, which has played a special part throughout her life and career: she celebrated Richmond Theatre's 120th anniversary with her concert, An Evening with Bonnie Langford. Venue director Josh Brown calls this year's line-up an exceptional leading company.

Getting to Richmond Theatre

Richmond Theatre is on The Green, Richmond TW9 1QJ, a 3 minute walk from Richmond station. Trains from Waterloo take about 20 minutes, or about 15 minutes by District line. Bus routes 27, 33, 37, 65 and 71 pass nearby. Drivers can approach by the A316, and the nearest car park is Old Deer Car Park (TW9 1NL), which is free after 6pm.