I’m proud that my scripts get produced on all manner of scale and sizes every year. From village hall to the enormous SEC in Glasgow, audiences, cast and crew alike revel in panto hilarity. But is bigger better? (That’s enough you two at the back, this is a family show!) Well I think the answer is: it depends. Some shows like to invest in big production values with star names. You can see this reflected in the commercial sectors with productions of the like you’d see at the London Palladium. Others focus on a core cast of returning regulars which are sure fire hits with audiences. I remember a ..read more

This week I’ve been working on ideas behind a brand new script: Treasure Island. Research and preparation So, how do I prepare when writing a new title? Well, in this case I fired up Disney+ and spent a cosy afternoon watching The Muppet’s Treasure Island. I even watched the DVD of a production of Treasure Island that I was in nearly twenty years ago(!) Then I mapped out the key plot points from the original novel in bullet points. Taking care to note any early thoughts about where I could ‘panto-ify’ the narrative. Making it a Pantomime The next step was to see how those p ..read more

The London Palladium has announced a new production of Mother Goose will be its Christmas 2024-5 pantomime. It’s been leaked that, with the public likely to vote him out of Downing Street in the general election, Rishi Sunak is joining the cast. Palladium panto regular Julian Clary will co-star, with other returning regulars Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, Gary Wilmot and Rob Madge. Tickets go on sale on Thursday 25th April at 10 am through palladiumpantomime.com. Prices start at £10, with performances running from December 2024 to January 2025. Rishi Sunak says: “Politics can sometimes seem l ..read more

In Spring 2023, Keiron and Matt at Cheltenham Playhouse got in touch with me to explore having a bespoke pantomime script written for their first pantomime at the venue. Cheltenham has a large commercial pantomime at the Everyman Theatre, and they wanted to provide a more affordable alternative for families in the local area. Find out more about how I created a brand new script from scratch. And see pictures of the results at the end of the email. The Brief The brief was to create a hyper-local script with references from Cheltenham Racecourse, to parking difficulties outsi ..read more

“ample opportunity for plenty of local references and causing much mirth around the auditorium.” “a super traditional panto… managing to give the occasional wink of modern life and humour.” Read the full review here: In this their 40th Anniversary year this talented company produced a super traditional panto while, as highlighted in the programme, managing to give the occasional wink of modern life and humour. As usual the production team managed to “bring in” the wide space at the venue when needed while using the width cunningly for the archery competition! The small but effective band DSL s ..read more

Pantomime season is nearly at a close, and so you’re probably looking ahead to your next pantomime. Perhaps you’ve already chosen a title. Perhaps you’d like to browse the list of 15 pantomimes I have available for license. Perhaps you’d like to premiere my upcoming Goldilocks and the Three Bears, or Pinocchio. Or another bespoke title. Dozens of my pantomimes were licensed worldwide last year. Breakdown of list of pantomime script titles The top 5 surprised me. It indicates a rise in popularity of more unusual titles: Once Upon a Time in Pantoland – 12% The Wiz ..read more

Robin Hood is the fourth pantomime I’ve written for Honiton Community Theatre Company, and it’s been great fun reimagining the medieval tale for Honiton audiences in 2024. In a matter of months we took the script from plot outline to full first draft working with Directors Josie and Lisa alongside the brilliant team of trustees to create a unique premiere for audiences at The Beehive in February 2024. Pantomimes have lots of rules and structural elements to them which make them what they are. But the core part of pantomime that remains the same is the way it shifts and changes with the times ..read more

“glorious mayhem and utterly, achingly funny.” “It was a fun pantomime with plenty of traditional themes, lots of energy” Read the full review here. The post NODA on Jack and the Beanstalk appeared first on Alex Jackson Pantomime Scripts ..read more

“Puss in Boots is a classic pantomime, but this version has some new ideas and twists to the classic story.” Read the full review here. The post NODA on Puss in Boots appeared first on Alex Jackson Pantomime Scripts ..read more

★★★★★ “An excellent script which had our audience rolling in the aisles with laughter! They particularly enjoyed the bread comedy routine, and the scary bedroom scene.” The post The Buildwas Players on Beauty and the Beast appeared first on Alex Jackson Pantomime Scripts ..read more