Dick Whittington at the London Palladium

Pantomime returns to the iconic West End venue for Christmas 2017!

It looks like a re-born festive tradition might well be becoming an annual affair... "Oh no, it doesn't!"... "Oh yes, it does!" because Qdos Entertainment - the world's biggest pantomime producer - have now officially announced that after the critical and commercial success of Cinderella, they will return to the London Palladium with a brand new production of Dick Whittington in 2017. The festive engagement will begin on 9th December 2017 and run through to 7th January 2018.

For those of our readers who have been sadly pantomime-deprived, Dick Whittington is a rags-to-riches tale based on an old English folklore about a young man and his cat. The pair come from an impoverished home and set off to London in hopes of a brighter future. The rat-infested capital proves to be the perfect hunting grounds for Dick's cat, whose ratting abilities make his master a sound fortune and leads to his eventual promotion to Lord Mayor of London... Watch out, Mr. Khan!

An all-star cast will be announced at a later date.

Qdos Entertainment's current production of Cinderella is the first pantomime at the London Palladium in more than three decades. Directed by the company's managing director Michael Harrison and the Olivier-nominated choreographer Andrew Wright, the cast includes Paul O'Grady (as The Wicked Stepmother), Amanda Holden (as The Fairy Godmother), Julian Clary (as Dandini), Lee Mead (as Prince Charming), Paul Zerdin (as Buttons), Nigel Havers (as Lord Chamberlain), Count Arthur Strong (as Baron Hardup) and Natasha Barnes (as Cinderella).

The final performance of Cinderella will take place on Sunday, 15th January 2017. See our Cinderella photos or book your Cinderella tickets now.

The London Palladium was once synonymous with annual pantomimes from 1948-1987, with the last production 'Babes in the Wood' starring Dame Barbara Windsor and Cannon & Ball. The venue's rich pantomime history attracted stars such as Julie Andrews, Sir Cliff Richard, Cilla Black and Ronnie Corbett.

Dick Whittington tickets are now on sale.