Roll up, roll up to the MK panto!

Naomi MacKay watched Goldilocks and the Three Bears at Milton Keynes Theatre, where it runs until Sunday 11 January 2026.

Milton Keynes Theatre has been transformed into a magical circus tent for the next few weeks, as the 2026 panto Goldilocks and the Three Bears brings dazzling sparkle, laugh-out-loud chaos and good old-fashioned festive fun to audiences.

Goldilocks’ circus is under threat from a dastardly rival owner and, with the help of her loyal circus family, she’s fighting to save the Big Top from ruin. Just when all hope seems lost, three extraordinary (and actually rather adorable) bears wiggle in to help – and the adventure truly begins.

Comedy legend Brian Conley takes centre stage as Billy Barnum, the warm-hearted circus boss determined to keep his troupe together despite the schemes of the wicked Baron Von Blackheart. A veteran of both panto and the West End, Conley knows exactly how to work a crowd; his physical comedy lands every time, and he caps Act One with a stunt that has the audience gasping. (No spoilers!)

He’s joined by his real-life daughter Lucy Conley as Goldilocks, who brings charm, energy and a lovely vocal performance – particularly in a touching scene with the mysterious magician Mysterioso (the effortlessly slick Phil Hitchcock).

With world-class circus acts including the Timbuktu Tumbles and Hitchcock’s magical interludes, the production is part panto, part variety spectacle. It evokes the grand, glitter-soaked pantos of the London Palladium – nostalgia wrapped in modern sparkle.

The staging is spectacular, and the theatre’s large stage is put to good use, with thousands of lights creating a shimmering Big Top. The costumes are nothing short of showstopping. Dame Betty Barnum (David Robbins) dazzles with a flurry of rapid-fire costume changes, all designed – and wigged – by Robbins himself.

The ensemble delivers crisp, high-energy dance numbers (never seen a tap-dancing bear? Now’s your chance!), and the circus theme gives rise to wonderfully over-the-top outfits and delightful animal characters. From magic tricks to acrobatics to a flying motorbike, the show barely pauses for breath.

Yet amid all the glitz, it’s Brian Conley’s infectious rapport with Gary Milner’s deliciously villainous Baron Blackheart that anchors the show. Milner revels in every accent, every sneer, and every perfectly timed comic clash with Conley.

A riot of colour, comedy and circus thrills, this is a panto that bursts with big-top joy.

Book tickets today at atgtickets.com/MiltonKeynes.