Cinderella at the Citizens Theatre Glasgow: cast announced for Christmas 2026

Molly Geddes will take the title role in the Christmas 2026 show at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, with Claire Dargo cast as the scheming stepmother Claudia. Written by Stuart Paterson and directed by Joanna Bowman, the production runs in the Main Theatre at the Citz on Gorbals Street from Saturday 28 November to Thursday 31 December 2026.

The Citizens Theatre announced the full company on 25 September 2026, publishing the cast and creative team on its official show page and in a meet the cast feature. The news was also reported by the Glasgow Reporter and the Glasgow Times. It is the second Christmas show since the Citz returned to its transformed Gorbals home, and the theatre describes it as a brand new production and a fresh take on the much loved fairytale.

The cast of the Citz Christmas show

Ten performers make up the company. Alongside Geddes and Dargo, Hannah Visocchi and Emma Mullen play the stepsisters Claudine and Claudette, Leandro Daniel plays the Prince, Callum Geddes plays Callum, Keith Macpherson plays the King and Father, and Michael Dylan plays Sergeant Puff. Mhairi Watt and Angus Bhattacharya complete the company as understudies.

According to the theatre, Molly Geddes is a recent graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland who follows a busy 2025 that included Sally Reid's Water Colour and two Wonder Fools productions, Alright Sunshine and Tether. The Glasgow Reporter adds that she is a passionate activist within the Violence Against Women and Girls sector, and that her screen work includes The Bombing of Pan Am 103 for World Productions and the BBC Three and Hulu series Dinosaur.

Dargo is known to television audiences as Gloria Bell in The Ridge and as Karen Connolly in the long-running Scottish soap River City. In this version of the story, Claudia is the heroine's wicked stepmother, and the announcement pairs her with two daughters who make her stepdaughter's life a misery in the cold, dark kitchens.

Visocchi, who plays Claudine, stars in the Netflix series The Undertow, which the theatre describes as soon to be released, and the Glasgow Reporter notes that Citz audiences will know Visocchi from Moonset. Mullen, cast as Claudette, is known for Shetland and will appear as Millie McCraig in the forthcoming Legacy of Spies. The Glasgow Reporter also highlights Mullen's extensive stage work, which includes playing Sophie in the West End production of the ABBA musical.

Macpherson, who plays the King and Father, is described by the theatre as known for work at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and for a long association with the Citizens through appearances in several TAG productions. Dylan, cast as Sergeant Puff, was recently seen in Fish at A Play, A Pint and A Pie, the lunchtime theatre programme, and in a production directed by James Brining. The Glasgow Times reports that the two understudies, Watt and Bhattacharya, are both recent graduates of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Director Joanna Bowman on the Citz Christmas show

Announcing the company, Bowman said: "We're making a Citz Christmas show packed with joy, delight and music, with a heavy dose of spectacle and surprise. I am overjoyed with the ensemble we have assembled for this production, a group of performers who bring energy, talent and playfulness to the stage, alongside a wonderfully imaginative and inventive creative team."

She continued: "There's magic, mischief and music galore, yet at the heart of the story is a young woman discovering what she really wants for herself." She added that she is looking forward to sharing the show with audiences this festive season.

Bowman is an Associate Artist at the Citizens, and GlasgowWorld's report on the autumn season described her as one of Scotland's most exciting theatre makers. The Citz notes that Bowman co-directed last year's Christmas show and comes to this year's Citizens show after directing a main stage production of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, a co-production with the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh that The Herald awarded five stars.

The creative team

Bowman is joined by designer Jessica Worrall, composer John Patrick Elliot, lighting designer Lizzie Powell, sound designer Ben Morgan and choreographer and movement director Jack Webb. Tim Licata is credited on the show page as clown director and consultant, and the theatre's cast announcement describes the role as clown director and magician.

The script comes from Stuart Paterson, the Scottish playwright whose family plays have been staged throughout the UK and around the world. A biography previously published on British Theatre notes that his titles for young audiences were first produced at venues including the Citizens, the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh and Birmingham Repertory Theatre, so the Christmas show marks a return for his writing to one of the theatres where his family work began.

What the story promises

The theatre's synopsis sets the scene: it is nearly time for the Prince's ball, but our poor heroine is working her fingers to the bone in the cold and dark kitchens thanks to her cruel and greedy stepsisters' nasty tricks. Luckily she has some new friends, and a little magic, to help her get to the ball and win the heart of the Prince. The question the Citz poses is whether her heart's true desire lies closer to home.

When the Citz unveiled its autumn season, GlasgowWorld reported that the fairytale would be "joyfully reimagined for the 21st century", with a heroine who is bold, big-hearted and fiercely independent, and determined to write her own story. The theatre's own season announcement promised something big-hearted, imaginative and full of sparkle. The theatre pitches it as the perfect choice for families looking for alternative, theatrical entertainment at Christmas, full of magic and mischief.

A Christmas tradition at the reopened Citz

The Christmas show continues the festive tradition the theatre revived after its long redevelopment. The Citizens reopened its Gorbals building on 23 August 2025 after seven years away, and in its first year back the theatre says more than 100,000 people visited. Its first Christmas show back in the Main Theatre won Best Production for Children and Young People at the 2026 CATS Awards and, according to the theatre, has also been nominated for Best Show for Children and Young People at the UK Theatre Awards.

Our Glasgow theatre guide describes the Citizens as the city's leading producing house for new and challenging work, with a tradition of accessible ticket prices and community engagement. For more festive options across the country, see our guide to the best pantomimes in the UK.

Dates, tickets and access for the Christmas show

The Citz production plays the Citizens Theatre Main Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, Glasgow, from 28 November to 31 December 2026. The official listing gives a running time of two hours including an interval and an age recommendation of 6+. Early performances on 28 November and 2 and 3 December are billed as First Look performances, and the schedule also includes weekday morning performances for schools.

Adult tickets are priced from £12.50 to £43.50 and child tickets from £9.25 to £22, with a booking fee of £1.50 per transaction. The Citz lists savings of up to 20% with its Individual and Joint Theatre Passes and 50% with Lucky Dip tickets, and its Access, Gorbals, Under 30s and Low Income passes also apply.

The theatre has scheduled six accessible performances: audio described on Saturday 12 December at 2pm; audio described with a touch tour on Sunday 13 December at 1pm; BSL interpreted on Thursday 17 December at 7pm; relaxed on Sunday 20 December at 5pm; captioned on the evening of Tuesday 22 December; and captioned and audio described on Tuesday 29 December at 1pm. The Main Theatre has level access from the street and through the Courtyard, lifts to each level of the auditorium, wheelchair user positions in the stalls and circle, and hearing aid induction loops.

Full performance times, access details and tickets are available on the Citizens Theatre show page, or from the box office on 0141 429 0022.