Climbing High This Christmas!

This year’s Aylesbury Waterside Theatre must-see panto is the stalk of the town, and the cast of Jack and the Beanstalk united for the first time to officially launch the festive production that promises bags full of fee fi fo FUN this Christmas from Fri 5 Dec 2025-Sun 4 Jan 2026.

Nigel Harman (EastEnders, Casualty, Strictly) is playing the villainous Fleshcreep alongside Andy Collins (BBC Three Counties Radio) playing Silly Simon, West End star and dame extraordinaire Leon Craig (celebrating his 20th year as a pantomime dame), Joe Sleight (Blood Brothers) playing Jack, Emma Crossley (Jersey Boys, I Should Be So Lucky, Mamma Mia!) playing Jill Pickle and Shanti Cantor(Kiss me Kate, Oklahoma!) as Spirit of the Beans.

The panto dream team spent the day at Hartwell Nurseries in Aylesbury filming amongst their blooms and posing in their winter wonderland, being exclusively unveiled to the public on 29 November. With their bold costumes, they were hard not to go unnoticed, and shoppers enjoyed speaking to the team ready to make magic on stage this December.

Pantogoers can expect this year’s GIANT adventure to be bigger than ever before with a feisty fairy, a silly sibling, a witty widow, a slippery servant… and a cow with some beef! Complete with incredible 3D special effects, stunning new sets and chart-topping hits, tickets are selling fast for the tradition Buckinghamshire has come to know and love.

Andy Collins is excited to have met his panto family for this year: ‘We’ve had the best day! Non-stop banter and ideas flying around all over the place. Every year I love meeting the team I’m going to be spending Christmas with. I’ve told them all exactly what to expect from our iconic audiences, and pre-warned about packing a raincoat…(!)’

Martin Dodd, UK Productions, Producer & Managing Director said of this year’s company: ‘We couldn’t be happier with our brilliant pantomime cast for Aylesbury – Nigel Harman will be the perfect villain to headline our brand new script, and it’s great to reunite the fabulous Leon Craig with Andy Collins, back for more mayhem, madcap capers and laughs. Add into that the West End credentials of Joe Sleight, Emma Crossley and Shani Cantor, and the talent is second to none. We can promise you a giant of a pantomime that will leave you full of beans!’

Don’t miss out on Aylesbury Waterside Theatre’s first ever production of the timeless tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. Tickets are on sale now at atgtickets.com/Aylesbury (fees apply).