Kensington panto 2026: Chelsea's 3 Sundays, Lyric from £10

Yes, Kensington and Chelsea has a panto this year, but only just. The one inside the borough is CindeRahRahella at the Chelsea Theatre in World’s End: six performances across three Sundays, 6, 13 and 20 December, at 11am and 2pm. The full-scale pantomime most Kensington families go to is next door in Hammersmith: the Lyric’s Cinderella, 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, tickets £10 to £48.

Every date, time and price below was read from the theatre’s own box office on 4 October 2026. Prices at the Lyric and at Richmond move with demand, so treat them as a snapshot.

CindeRahRahella, Chelsea Theatre

The Chelsea Theatre is the community theatre at 7 World’s End Place, SW10 0DR, at the King’s Road end of the World’s End estate. Its Christmas show this year is brought in by Rah Rah Theatre Company, a touring charity that, according to the theatre’s listing, has been making shows since 2001 and has played more than 1,000 venues.

What the listing promises: a “fast-paced three-hander” Cinderella with songs, dancing and a lot of audience participation, and an Elvis-inspired Fairy Godfather. Local community groups join the cast at each performance, so no two shows are quite the same.

• Sunday 6 December 2026: 11am and 2pm
• Sunday 13 December 2026: 11am and 2pm
• Sunday 20 December 2026: 11am and 2pm
• Running time: 1 hour
• Tickets: price not yet published. The theatre’s own page carries no price and no booking link as of 4 October; its box office is on 0207 352 1967.

With six performances in a small venue, this is the one to watch for. We will add the price when the theatre publishes it.

Cinderella, Lyric Hammersmith

The Lyric is the big one, and the nearest to Kensington: Hammersmith station is on the District and Piccadilly lines, the same lines that run through Earl’s Court, Gloucester Road and South Kensington, and the theatre says it is usually two minutes’ walk from the station.

This year’s show is Cinderella, written by Joel Horwood, who wrote the Lyric’s 2016 Aladdin, and directed by Robin Belfield. The cast, from the Lyric’s show page: Chrissie Bhima (Cinderella), Ashh Blackwood (Buttons), Donna Berlin (Suella), Colin Burnicle (Muruduth and the Fairy Kween), Lauryn Redding (Mikayla and Dandini) and Durone Stokes (Prince M. Charming).

When it plays. The Lyric’s ticketing system lists 74 performances, 24 of them for schools. That leaves 50 that families can book:

• Previews: Thursday 19 and Friday 20 November at 7pm, Saturday 21 November at 2pm. Press night is Saturday 21 November at 6pm. Previews are when the £10 under-16 tickets apply.
• Weekends from 28 November: Saturdays at 2pm and 6pm, Sundays at 1.30pm and 5.30pm.
• Weekday evenings before the holidays: mostly 7pm on Fridays, plus Tuesday 8 December at 6pm, Thursday 10 December and Wednesday 16 December at 7pm.
• The week before Christmas: two shows a day, 2pm and 6pm, from Thursday 17 to Wednesday 23 December, except Sunday 20 December, when there is no show.
• Christmas week: Christmas Eve at 10am and 1.30pm; nothing on Christmas Day; Boxing Day a single 2pm; then a daily run to 31 December, which is a 2pm matinee only. No show on New Year’s Day; the last four performances are on 2 and 3 January.

The weekdays from 23 to 26 November and most daytime slots in early December are schools-only, so do not be surprised when they are not on sale.

Access performances, from the show page: relaxed Tuesday 1 December at 10am, audio described Thursday 10 December at 7pm (with a touch tour at 5.30pm), BSL Friday 11 December at 7pm and open captioned Wednesday 16 December at 7pm. The Lyric gives one free companion seat with each full-price access ticket.

One thing a Kensington reader cannot use: the Lyric’s Free First Night ballot for the opening performance is for people who live or work in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Under-6s: Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas

The Lyric also runs a show for the youngest, in its studio: Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas, 18 November to 27 December, £15 to £22, 50 minutes, aimed at under-6s. Seating is unreserved and buggies cannot go into the auditorium. Relaxed performances are on 24 November at 10.30am and 29 November at 9.30am, BSL on 30 November at 11.30am and audio described on 3 December at 9.45am (Lyric listing).

Jack and the Beanstalk, Richmond Theatre

If you want the full star-casting, slapstick kind of panto, Richmond Theatre on the Green is at the far end of the District line from Kensington. Its 2026 show is Jack and the Beanstalk, Saturday 5 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, with Bonnie Langford as Mrs Blunderbore, Dr Ranj as the Spirit of the Beans, Basil Brush as Farmer Basil and Lloyd Hollett as Silly Simon (ATG listing).

ATG advertises tickets from £15. On 4 October the cheapest seat it was showing for the opening weekend was £29.33 plus a £1.17 fee, so the £15 seats are not on every date.

What is not on in the borough

The Coronet in Notting Hill, the borough’s other stage most families would think of, has no Christmas show: its own listings, checked on 4 October, end with a jazz festival on 11 and 12 December.

Getting there and parking

For evening shows, check the controlled parking hours on our parking page before you leave the car near World’s End, and the roadworks and travel page for closures. The Lyric is outside the congestion charge zone; its nearest car park is Livat Hammersmith, Glenthorne Road, W6 0LJ, open 24 hours. For the Christmas-week train and Tube changes, see our Christmas travel page.

For the rest of the season, see our Christmas markets page and the Chelsea Christmas lights switch-on.

Sources

• Chelsea Theatre, CindeRahRahella and What’s On
• Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Cinderella, its ticketing performance list, and Getting to us
• Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas
• ATG Tickets, Jack and the Beanstalk, Richmond Theatre
• The Coronet Theatre, What’s On