French and Saunders to reunite on stage for the first time in 17 years at Christmas London Palladium Panto

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For the first time in 17 years, beloved comedic partners Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will perform together on stage this Christmas.

I’m so excited! They just announced who’s playing the Ugly Sisters in this year’s pantomime at the London Palladium, and it’s those two! I can’t wait to see them!

Julian Clary will once again play the Fairy Godmother, and he’ll be joined by returning stars Nigel Havers, Paul Zerdin, and Rob Madge.

Saunders is returning to the famous Palladium pantomime after first appearing as Captain Hook in 2023. French has collaborated with producer Michael Harrison on previous shows like Snow White and Jack and the Beanstalk, but this marks the first time Saunders and French are performing together in a pantomime.

We’ve always dreamed of playing the Ugly Sisters, and it finally feels like that dream is coming true! Get ready – it’s going to be quite a performance.

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have been central figures in British comedy for more than four decades, first gaining recognition in the 1980s. They began their careers with their own sketch show in 1978 and have since appeared in many popular series, including “Absolutely Fabulous” and “The Vicar of Dibley.”

I’m so excited for this year’s panto at the Palladium – it’s their eleventh! Last year was incredible, a real celebration, and they had more people come through the doors than ever before. Sleeping Beauty, with Catherine Tate, sold out faster than any show in the Palladium’s history, welcoming over 137,000 visitors in just five weeks. And now, it sounds like Harrison is aiming to make this year even bigger and better, which I can’t wait to see!

We strive to make our annual pantomime even better for our fantastic audiences, and we’re thrilled to announce that Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will star in this year’s production of Cinderella. It’s incredibly exciting to have two of the UK’s most popular comedic stars together on stage at the Palladium. Their well-known rapport and witty humor will make this a memorable show for everyone.

Last year, Harrison explained how much work goes into these shows, noting that preparation begins a full year in advance – everything from costume and set design is planned well ahead of time. He mentioned a long-standing Victorian theatrical tradition of having a spectacular moment at the end of the first act – like Cinderella’s arrival at the ball or Aladdin discovering the cave – and the challenge of making these classic scenes feel fresh and new each time.

He explained that creating Julian Clary’s costumes is surprisingly expensive – the budget for design and production is often higher than for costumes in some major West End theatrical productions, sometimes reaching between £30,000 and £40,000 per costume.

The show features a large company of performers and crew – sixteen dancers, ten leads, and a twelve-person orchestra, plus everyone working behind the scenes. Pantomime is also a great way to attract audiences to the theatre, especially people who don’t usually attend performances.

Local theaters often rely on the income from their annual pantomime performances to fund other productions, like plays or dance shows. This makes panto season incredibly important for supporting the arts in the community.

Tickets for the London Palladium’s pantomime will be available to the general public starting Thursday, April 2nd. Those with priority booking can purchase tickets beginning March 31st.

Authors

Olivia Garrett

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2026-03-24 14:04