Top pantos and Christmas shows
From ballet to pantomime, our theatres have the lot over the Christmas and New Year
Abbey Theatre
Let the Right One In Running until Jan 6
From the National Theatre of Scotland and the makers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, this is a brutal and strange love story set near a snow-covered forest in Sweden and about a lonely bullied boy and a centuries-old vampire girl-next-door. Not for under-13s. Tickets from €13 to €45. Tel: 01 87 8 7 222 / boxoffice@abbeytheatre.ie
Abbey, Peacock
They Called Her Vivaldi Until Dec 23. For children 7+.
Comedy-adventure about musical prodigy Cecilia Maria given peculiar ear-muffs by her father Edward M Haberdasher. With Louis Lovett and Genevieve Hulme-Beaman. Tickets from €14 to €18. See above for booking details.
Ballet Ireland
Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet Touring nationally until Dec 23.
Teachers try to bring order by introducing the gangs to Shakespeare’s play, with pupils assigned characters in the Capulet/Montague vendetta. Touring details at balletireland.ie
Belfast Grand Opera House
Peter Pan Until Jan 14
May McFettridge is back as Mrs Smee in her 28th consecutive year, supported by Claire King (Corrie and previously Kim Tate in Emmerdale) as Mimi the Mermaid. David Bedella plays the villainous Captain Hook in a cast of 25.
Tickets £19.75 to €35.75. Tel: +44 28 9024 1919 / goh. co.uk
Bord Gáis Theatre
The Sound of Music, Dec 19 to Jan 6
Lucy O’Byrne, finalist in the UK’s The Voice, plays Maria, with Kildare’s Celine Byrne as Mother Abbess. Tickets from €21. Bookings: 0818 719 377 / ticketmaster.ie
Cork, Everyman
Beauty & The Beast Dec 9 - Jan 14. 7.30 pm. Matinees 2 pm.
Featuring a rose, a clock, a teapot, a candlestick, Niamh O’Mahony as Beauty and the usual top-class group including Keith Hanley, Kelly Ann Murphy as Baby Beret, Ciarán Bermingham as Merry Berry. Tickets from €26. Tel 021 4501673 /everymancork.com.
Cork Opera House
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs Until Jan 21. With Frank Mackey, Phoebe Dipple and Shirley McCarthy, live music, dance routines, a magical mirror and lots of audience participation. Tickets from €27.50 to €35. Tel: 021 427 0022./corkoperahouse.ie The Improvised Panto Dec 8 – 23 A different panto every night. With live music, actors and comedians. Booking details above.
Christmas at the Cathedral St FinBarre’s Cork
Dec 9, 8pm.
Presented by Cork International Choral Festival and featuring carols, songs and stories. With the 60 voices of Montfort Youth Choir, Serena Stanley and her Java Ladies Chorus, Fiona O’Reilly, Lorna Moore and Emma Nash (2017 Wexford festival opera emerging young artist) and actors from the Littleshoes Players. Tickets €20 from corkchoral.ie/ 021-421-5125
Drogheda TLT
Beauty & The Beast. Dec 15-23
Robert C Kelly’s production of Ireland’s first professional touring panto.
With comedian Karl Spain from Operation Transformation, who has worked on stages around the world, Adam Weafer (Red Rock) as the unfortunate Beast, and Clara Murray from RTÉ Jr as Belle.
Red Rock’s John Lovett is the Dame. Tickets €18-€23. Booking: thetlt.ie/ 041 9878560
Gaiety, Dublin
Rapunzel Until Jan 21. See review above. Tickets from €19.50. Bookings: 0818 719388 / gaietytheatre.ie.
Galway Town Hall
Beauty & The Beast Dec 30 - Jan 14 Tickets from €15 to €17. See renmorepantomime.com
Gate Theatre Dublin
The Red Shoes. Until Jan 27. 7.30 pm A new version of the Hans
Christian Andersen fairytale. Cast includes Rosaleen Linehan, Muirne Bloomer, Owen Roe and David Pearse. Parent discretion recommended for under-12s Tickets: €25 to €40. Bookings: gatetheatre.ie or 01 874 4045
Glór, Ennis
Ballet Dec 15 Tickets Ireland €20 Romeo -€22. & Juliet. Pantaloons Cinderella Dec 22-23; 27-31. 2.30pm With Sparks hip hop dance school. Tickets €12.50 to €15 A Night With The Stars, top country acts. Dec 6, Tickets: 065 684 3103 / glor.ie
An Grianán, Letterkenny
The Nutcracker, Dec 12-16. 7pm
A new version of the Christmas favourite, set in Donegal, choreographed by Jessica Peoples of ZoNa Dance. Tkts €8 to €12.
Other events: TheHigh Kings (Dec 15), DMEP family Christmas concert (Dec 17 5pm-7pm), Phil Coulter (Dec 21), The Fureys (Dec 27). Box office: 074 912 0777; angrianan.com
Hawk’s Well, Sligo
Babes in the Wood, Dec 3-15 Coolera Dramatic Society production. Tickets €17. The Wizard of Oz Jan 3-7 Tickets €15 to €18. Bookings: hawkswell.com or 071 916 1518.
Killarney, INEC
Beauty & The Beast Jan 2 - 4
Robert C Kelly’s production of Ireland’s first professional touring panto. See entry for Drogheda TLT for show details. Tickets: €25. Booking: inec.ie / 064 667 1555
Limerick, University Concert Hall
Cinderella Dec 18 – Jan 7
With Samantha Mumba as the Evil Stepmother, Richie Hayes as Buttons, Myles Breen and Richard Lynch as the Ugly Sisters. Tickets €24 to €29. See uch.ie or 061 331549
National Concert Hall
Annie the musical Dec 27– Jan 3
Katherine Lynch as the nasty Miss Hannigan and Tony Finnegan as Daddy Warbucks. Tickets €25 - €36. Snowman movie Dec 15– 17. Tickets €19 - €25.
Olympia
Polly and The Beanstalk Dec 15 – Jan 14. 2pm / 6.30pm
With Rory Cowan (Mrs Brown’s Boys) as the dame, Michaela O’Neill (RTE TV Scorchio), Dustin the Turkey, Ryan Andrews (Fair City) . Tickets €17 to €37. Bookings: 0818 719330, ticketmaster.ie
Siamsa Tíre, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Merry Grinchmas Dec 3. 2.30pm and 7.30pm The Dr Seuss story of how The Grinch plots to steal Christmas. Tickets: €12-€16. Cinderella Dec 29-30 / Jan 2-4. 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets €16/€18. Tel: 066 712 3055 / siamsatire.com
Smock Alley
The Grimm Tale of Cinderella. Dec 5 - 23. 7pm. Matinees Sat/Sun 2pm. No show Mondays. An unusual take on the folk tale. Tickets €15 - €18. 01 677 0014. smockalley.com
Tivoli, Dublin
Sleeping Beauty. Dec 10—Jan 14.
TV3’s Alan Hughes as Sammy Sausages, Michele McGrath as the evil Queen Malevolent and Mary Byrne as Good Queen Mary.. Tickets from €15. panto.ie or 01 454 4472.
Waterford Theatre Royal
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs Dec 2-30. Tickets €16 to €19.50. theatreroyal.ie / 051 874 402
Wexford, National Opera House
Beauty & The Beast Dec 27-30. 2pm / 6.30pm each day. See Drogheda TLT entry for show details. Tkts €25. A Fairy Good Christmas Dec 6-17. Children 3-8. Tickets €12 Handel’s Messiah Dec 7. Tickets: €20 - €25. 053 912 2144 / nationaloperahouse.ie