Get ready to cheer for Dick and his trusty cat, boo and hiss at the dreaded King Rat and laugh out loud at the antics of the disastrous Dame.

With its breathtaking sets, lavish costumes and lovable characters, the legendary Belgrade panto is an unmissable Christmas treat for thousands of families every year. This year the theatre will be bursting with festive sparkle, the smell of freshly baked mince pies and loads of excited, smiling faces - it really is the most wonderful time of the year. 

Creative Director Corey Campbell, interim CEO Neil Murray, and the whole team at the Belgrade Theatre are delighted to announce full cast and creative team for this year’s family favourite panto Dick Whittington, written by and starring by the award-winning Iain Lauchlan. Dick Whittington will play from Wednesday 20 November until Saturday 4 January 2025, with a press night on Friday 22 November at 7pm. 

Leading the cast of Dick Whittington is writer and director Iain Lauchlan (a veteran of numerous pantomimes in Coventry, including most recently Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Beauty and the Beast) as Dame Sarah the Cook. Iain will once again appear alongside his co-winner from the 2023 Pantomime Association Winner Awards Andy Hockley (Wicked, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Phantom of the Opera) as King Rat. Appearing in his 13th Belgrade Pantomime will be Craig Hollingsworth (Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella) who will play Idle Jack; Aonghas Ewen (Wind in the Willows, Cinderella, The Strange Affair of Herschel Grynszpan) as Scratch; Declan Wilson (One Man, Two Guvnors, Hamlet, Twelfth Night) as Alderman Fitzwarren and Sultan of Morocco; making her pantomime debut as Dick Whittington will be Lois Brook; Sam Woods (Beetlejuice, Jack & The Beanstalk, Aljaž Skorjanec & Janette Manrara) will be Tommy The Cat, and playing both Alice Fitzwarren and Fairy Bowbells will be Gabriela Harris (RENT, NINE, The Golden Gala). The Ensemble will be Beth Gourlay, Mia King-Harmes, Caleb Griggs and Reiss Hinds.  

Coventry based Imagine Theatre are once again associate producers on the panto. 

Imagine Theatre’s Joint CEO Steve Boden said, “We are delighted to be working alongside Iain and the brilliant team at the Belgrade on this year’s production of “Dick Whittington”. The Belgrade creates a brand-new show every year and the production is routed firmly within the communities of Coventry, Warwickshire and the West Midlands. Imagine Theatre are panto producers across the whole of the UK and it’s fair to say that the Belgrade panto also has a great reputation nationally, seen as a great example of the artform, with Iain Lauchlan and the panto team being recognised at the UK Panto Awards earlier this year.” 

As well as Dick Whittington, Belgrade Theatre will also be playing host to the stage adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ much loved classic Father Christmas, directed by Emma Earle which is appearing between Thursday 5 December and Sunday 29 December. Come and join Santa as he awakes from a dream of sun, sea and sand only to find it is the busiest day of the year: Christmas Eve. Tickets for Father Christmas (5th December – 29th December) available HERE