Christmas shows a roaring success

Wed 6 Jan 2016

Tens of thousands of theatre goers have enjoyed Aladdin at Derby Arena and The Potty Professor’s Christmas Miracle at the Guildhall Theatre over the festive period. 

More than 30,000 of you came to see our Pantomime Aladdin with the all-star cast of Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton, ex-TOWIE star Dan Osborne, 5ives Ritchie Neville, Richard David-Caine and Joseph Elliott from Cbeebies Swashbuckle and comedian Mike McClean.

Aladdin was also the highlight of the festive season for many of the twelve thousand plus children who came to see the show.

Almost 20% of our visitors were from outside of the county, some coming as far as Devon and the Scottish Highlands in the UK, and across the world from Dubai, USA, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia and Israel. 

Aladdin received generous reviews from both the press and from our audiences.

“…a dazzling show!” – Artsbeat

“….tons of fun to keep the kids enthralled.” – Bum on a Seat

“…a wonderful and plentiful feast of entertainment.” – Derby Telegraph

"Panto is back in Derby—with a spectacular show aimed at making audiences gasp in amazement." – British Theatre Company

“…a slick, lavish and highly entertaining production that contains all the crowd participation you'd expect” – Burton Mail

‏@CarlGoddard Burton upon Trent,England @derbypanto fab Panto!! So enjoyed it last night. Excellent cast!

‏@StnRhian Fab night at @DerbyLIVE pantomime, Aladdin! Massive praise to @mikemcclean5 and @LeonCraig1 who has us in stitches!

@ARohomon @DerbyLIVE went to Aladdin yesterday absolutely fantastic show. So funny for kids and adults. Well worth the money. Well done all

@lisaarnold1983 @LeonCraig1 @mikemcclean5 @DerbyLIVE @DannyO came in the 8th Dec with work and came to day with family... And loved both amazing X

Derby Arena as a venue has also received praise for its ground-breaking transformation into a theatre.

"Every effort has been made to transform the arena, a velodrome of all places, into a kind of pop-up theatre. It exceeds expectations." – Bum on a Seat

@simone_lennox Thanks for a wonderful evening at Aladin last night @DerbyLIVE @derby_arena - we had great fun! Congrats on fab theatre space conversion.

If you missed the show why not take a look behind the scenes and at our production trailer

The Potty Professor’s Christmas Miracle proved to be a hit with our audiences too. More than five thousand of you came to see performances of our magical Christmas show including almost three thousand children.

The Potty Professor Christmas Miracle has received great reviews from press and our audience members.

“…an enchanting and funny show that is full of the Christmas spirit” – Burton Mail

@hannahfox @BabVagabonds @DerbyLive Great show guys... My nephews LOVED it!

@Leezylon @BabVagabonds @emmy_bright87 great show today, my children loved it! Thanks for posing for photos too

Tickets are on sale for our 2016/17 panto Cinderella, the classic fairy tale of a beautiful girl forced to serve her jealous stepsisters. Aided by the silly but loveable Buttons and a Fairy Godmother carefully watching over her, Cinderella dreams of escaping her misery and finding true love and happiness. 

There will be dazzling new sets & costumes, hilarious comedy, fabulous music and dance routines, lots of audience participation and fun for all the family.  

Cinderella will be on stage at Derby Arena from Tuesday 6 December 2016 until Tuesday 3 January 2017. Tickets already on sale and around 2,000 people have already booked in, it’s never too early to book for this fantastic festive treat.