Steve McFadden and Dani Harmer headline Beauty and the Beast at the Derngate from 4 to 31 December. The Deco does The Wizard of Oz. Every date, dark day and access performance.

Northampton has two pantomimes this Christmas, and both open on the same night, Friday 4 December. Royal & Derngate is doing Beauty and the Beast, The Deco is doing The Wizard of Oz. Everything below is taken from the two venues’ own booking systems, checked on 5 September.

Beauty and the Beast, Royal & Derngate

In the Derngate auditorium, Friday 4 December to Thursday 31 December, 45 performances in total.

The cast, per the theatre’s own page: Steve McFadden, Phil Mitchell in EastEnders, as the villain Grumblewart; Dani Harmer of Tracy Beaker as Fairy Cupid; Sam Rabone as the dame Madame Bellie Fillop, who is also co-directing; Dave Bibby, Buttons in the theatre’s Cinderella two years ago, as Phillipe Fillop; Georgia Brierley-Smith, last year’s Tinkerbell, as Belle; Christian Southway as the Beast and Prince Henri; and the American actor Sage Spiker as Danton, in his first UK panto. Written by Paul Hendy, co-directed by Emily Wood, produced by Evolution Productions.

Every performance

Date Times
Fri 4 Dec 7pm
Sat 5 Dec 2pm, 7pm
Sun 6 Dec 1pm (relaxed), 5pm
Tue 8 Dec 11am (schools), 6pm
Wed 9 Dec 11am (schools), 6pm
Thu 10 Dec 11am (schools), 6pm
Fri 11 Dec 11am (schools), 7pm
Sat 12 Dec 3pm, 7pm
Sun 13 Dec 1pm, 5pm
Tue 15 Dec 11am (schools), 6pm (BSL)
Wed 16 Dec 11am (schools), 6pm (audio described)
Fri 18 Dec 2pm, 7pm
Sat 19 Dec 2pm, 7pm
Sun 20 Dec 1pm (captioned), 5pm
Mon 21 Dec 1pm, 6pm
Tue 22 Dec 1pm, 6pm
Wed 23 Dec 1pm, 6pm
Thu 24 Dec 11am, 3pm
Sat 26 Dec 1pm, 5pm
Sun 27 Dec 1pm, 5pm
Mon 28 Dec 1pm (audio described), 5pm
Tue 29 Dec 1pm, 5pm
Wed 30 Dec 1pm (BSL), 5pm
Thu 31 Dec 3pm

Dark days: Monday 7, Monday 14, Thursday 17 and Christmas Day. The six 11am shows are schools only and are not on public sale; groups go through group.bookings@royalandderngate.co.uk.

Access performances

  • Relaxed: Sunday 6 December, 1pm
  • BSL interpreted: Tuesday 15 December 6pm, Wednesday 30 December 1pm
  • Audio described, with a touch tour an hour before: Wednesday 16 December 6pm, Monday 28 December 1pm
  • Captioned: Sunday 20 December, 1pm

What it costs

The theatre does not publish a price band table, and it says why: “our ticket prices are subject to change as the theatre fills and not all seats may be offered for sale until seats towards the front of the theatre are sold”. In other words, booking early is the price strategy, and a quoted price is only good on the day you see it.

The figures it does fix are for groups:

  • Off-peak groups: £14.50 for an adult across all bands, and every eleventh ticket free for each ten booked
  • PTA rate £16, uniformed groups £17.50, each with one free group booker ticket
  • Sliding discounts of 5% at 10 people, 10% at 20, 20% at 40 and 25% at 60
  • A further 5% off for schools paying by the end of July
  • All group bookings must be paid in full by 30 October 2026

There is also a Beauty and the Beast afternoon tea in the week beginning Monday 21 December, added at checkout or through the box office.

Box office: 01604 624811, 19 to 21 Guildhall Road, NN1 1DP.

The Wizard of Oz, The Deco

At The Old Savoy on Abington Square, NN1 4AE, Friday 4 December to Monday 28 December, 31 performances.

The theatre describes a family panto with the familiar characters, songs and audience participation, and has confirmed one access detail: the relaxed performance is the 1.30pm on Tuesday 22 December. The cast has not been announced; the theatre held open auditions for Dorothy earlier in the year.

Every performance

Date Times
Fri 4 Dec 7pm
Sat 5 Dec 11am, 3.30pm
Sun 6 Dec 11am, 3.30pm
Tue 8 to Fri 11 Dec 6.30pm
Sat 12 Dec 11am, 3.30pm
Sun 13 Dec 11am, 3.30pm
Tue 15 to Fri 18 Dec 6.30pm
Sat 19 Dec 11am, 3.30pm
Sun 20 Dec 11am, 3.30pm
Tue 22 Dec 1.30pm (relaxed), 6.30pm
Wed 23 Dec 1.30pm, 6.30pm
Thu 24 Dec 11am, 3.30pm
Sun 27 Dec 1.30pm, 6.30pm
Mon 28 Dec 11am, 3.30pm

Dark days: Mondays 7, 14 and 21 December, plus Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Note the run ends on 28 December, three days before the Derngate’s.

The Deco does not publish a price table on its website either. Booking is online through its own system, and the box office is 01604 491005.

Which to pick

The Derngate show is the bigger production with the television names and the wider spread of access performances, and it plays through to New Year’s Eve. The Deco is the smaller 1930s cinema auditorium with a simpler schedule, mostly 11am and 3.30pm at weekends and 6.30pm on weekday evenings, which suits younger children better than a 7pm start.

Both are a short walk from the town centre car parks. Our parking guide has the evening tariffs, which matter for a 6pm or 7pm curtain, and the roadworks page is worth a look before a matinee.

Sources