Kids

For lots of people a Christmas show is synonymous with a pantomime. Aficionados particularly rate the Hackney Empire (020 8985 2424/ www.hackneyempire.co.uk), which is doing ‘Mother Goose’ this year, and the Theatre Royal Stratford East (020 8534 0310/www.stratfordeast.com), which is offering ‘Hansel and Gretel’.

The Barbican (0845 120 7550/www.barbican.org.uk) is also taking the cruel stepmother, lily-livered father, house-made-of-sweeties route through the dark wood. Its version of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ is a promenade performance from Catherine Wheels, suitable for everyone over eight, that promises to be as delicious as it’s dark.

‘Peter Pan’ fans can choose between the Richmond Theatre (0870 060 6651/www.richmondtheatre.net), with Simon Callow as Captain Hook, and the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon (020 8688 9291/www.fairfield.co.uk) with Brian Blessed.

The Unicorn (020 7645  0560/www.unicorntheatre.com) is staging a Southwark-based ‘Sleeping Beauty’ for age six plus. Michael Rosen’s ‘Pinocchio’, also for over-sixes, is this year’s Christmas show at London’s other specialist children’s theatre, the Polka in Wimbledon (020 8543 8888/www.polkatheatre.com). The production at the Young Vic (020 7922 2924/www.youngvic.org) is ‘Amazonia’ (for age seven and above), featuring a cast of English and Brazilian actors led by Brazil’s great comic actor Pedro Cardoso.

For traditionalists, Christmas won’t have arrived until they’ve seen ‘The Snowman’, a dance show at the Peacock Theatre (0844 871 0091/www.sadlerswells.com) which is suited to everyone from three-year-olds to octogenarians. Dance fans hoping for something a bit edgier may prefer Matthew Bourne’s ‘Edward Scissorhands’ at Sadler’s Wells (0844 871 0090).

Families with very young children should also check out ‘Brilliant’ –  which lives up to its title – from Fevered Sleep at the Lyric (0871 221 1729/www.lyric.co.uk). There’s also ‘How to Catch a Star’, based on Oliver Jeffers’ picture book, at the Polka and ‘How Long is a Piece of String’, a promenade performance from Oily Cart, at the Unicorn.