Dick Whittington and His Cat (Family Show)

King's Head Theatre family panto 2026: Dick Whittington and His Cat

Victoria Scone and River Medway star in Dick Whittington and His Cat, the King's Head Theatre family panto in Islington, running in the Main House from Sunday 22 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Written and directed by Andrew Pollard, the King's Head's annual pantomime is back for its third year, and the theatre bills it as North London's favourite panto, sure to bring festive cheer for all the family.

The story and what to expect

Come to Islington, where the streets are paved with gold. Dick Whittington's adventure begins when he journeys to London town to find fame and fortune, with his trusty cat in tow. But with rats running riot, the big city doesn't quite match up to his dreams. Can our young hero save Islington from the Rat King's clutches and restore London to its former glory? And will he find love along the way? Expect show-stopping musical numbers, toe-tapping tunes and a whole lot of laughs.

Cast

Victoria Scone returns to the King's Head as Dragpuss, after playing Dame Trott in last year's Jack and the Beanstalk. She made history as the first contestant assigned female at birth to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race UK, went on to reach the final four of Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs The World, and has appeared in The Frogs at Southwark Playhouse.

River Medway makes her King's Head debut as the Rat Queen. She most recently played Jem in the UK and Ireland tour of Here and Now: The Steps Musical, having originated the role at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, and has toured widely since the third series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

Further casting is to be announced by the venue.

Creative team

Andrew Pollard, named Best Writer at this year's UK Pantomime Awards, writes and directs his third King's Head panto, after Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk. Nicky Bunch designs the set and costumes, George W. Parris is musical supervisor and musical director, Alex Lewer designs the lighting and Anna Short the sound. General management is by Luminous Entertainment Group.

Dates and times

Previews start on Sunday 22 November at 1pm, with a Pay What You Can preview on Wednesday 25 November at 6pm. The press performance is on Sunday 29 November at 1pm, and the final performance is on Sunday 3 January 2027 at 1pm. Weekend performances are mostly at 1pm and 5pm, weekday evening shows are at 6pm, and schools performances are mostly at 10am. Over Christmas, start times range from 11am early showings to 6pm, including 11am and 3pm on Christmas Eve and 3pm on Boxing Day.

Who is it for (age guidance and running time)

All ages are welcome. Children under 3 go free when they sit on a ticketed grown-up's lap, without a seat of their own, and children aged 4 and over need their own ticket. The running time is approximately 2 hours, with the exact time to be announced by the venue. This is the family version: the theatre also stages a separate, innuendo-filled Dick Whittington: Adults Only with drag and West End guest stars, which has its own page.

Accessible performances

Captioned, BSL interpreted, audio described and relaxed performance dates are to be announced by the venue. The King's Head runs membership and access programmes with offers on this and other shows.

Panto at the King's Head

Dick Whittington and His Cat is the third King's Head family pantomime, following Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk, and Andrew Pollard's third as writer and director. Victoria Scone and River Medway star in both the family and the Adults Only productions this year.

Getting to the King's Head Theatre

The King's Head Theatre is at 116p Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1QP. Starting times vary through the run, so arrive in good time: latecomers can only enter at a specific point. The bar and box office open 45 minutes before each performance.