News Story
Oxford Playhouse is delighted to announce the full cast and creative team for its charming family pantomime, Dick Whittington!
Following the venue’s success at this year’s Pantomime Awards, where it received the Special Recognition Award for Innovation for Sleeping Beauty, its pantomime continues to be a sparkling highlight in Oxfordshire’s theatre calendar. Dick Whittington will play on the Main Stage from Friday 21 November 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026.
Returning for yet another panto adventure, Daisy Ann Fletcher will take to the stage this year as protagonist Dick ‘Dot’ Whittington, Robin Hemmings as villain Liam Rattagher, Elliott Wooster as Fairy Bowbells, Lucy Frederick as Sarah Fitzwarren, Sophia Lewis as Alice Fitzwarren, and Fintan Hayeck as Albert Square. Making their Oxford Playhouse debut are Daniel Forrester as Damian Allbran, and Macy Dermody-Blythe and Stefanos Petriforming the ensemble.
The award-winning Oxford Playhouse team return this year with Toby Hulse as Writer and Director, Steve Allan Jones as Composer and Arranger, Bronia Housman as Set Designer, Immy Howard as Costume Designer, Ashley Bale and Will Hayman as Lighting Designers, Chris Humphries and Matt Eaton as Sound Designers, Joe Stathers as Projection Designer, Rae Piper as Choreographer, Emily Scott as Assistant Choreographer, and Ben Newman as Associate Director.
The cast of Dick Whittington, written and directed by Toby Hulse
This will mark Toby Hulse’s fourth pantomime with Oxford Playhouse. With preparations already underway for Dick Whittington, he said:
'I am thrilled to be back at Oxford Playhouse this Christmas. Last year's production of Sleeping Beauty received special recognition for the way it took a fresh look at a traditional story, and Dick Whittington is taking this even further, following the familiar fairy tale adventures through a ridiculous world of pie and mash shops, TV talent shows, and glorious 90s music. It's a real treat to be able to bring so many of last year's cast and crew back to the Playhouse stage - they enjoy entertaining Oxford audiences so much that they couldn't wait to return!'
Board the bus to London Town for this riotous and uplifting tale of friendship, music, 90s cool and Britpop. Here we meet the Cockney spirit of London Town, Fairy Bowbells, sworn to protect the city and its people. But proper crafty Liam Rattagher and his dodgy brother Noel are conjuring up a masterplan to take over the world. They want things to be just how they like them... bland!
But there’s an ancient prophecy… a prophecy that says a Dick Whittington will run the rats straight out of London Town. Enter our hero, Dick, a trader at Gloucester Green Market.
Saddled with the name Dick as part of a long-standing family tradition, she’s the first daughter in a long line of Whittingtons. She’s unlike the rest of her family, and so she’s desperate to be called Dot.
But with a prophecy to fulfil, she must put all this aside to get rid of the dull and make Britannia cool again! To save Oxenford, she might just need a bit of help from a magical cat and a gang of unlikely sidekicks…
Oxford Playhouse pantomime plays on the Main Stage from Fri 21 Nov 2025 to Sun 4 Jan 2026
Credit: Korky PaulArtistic Director and CEO of Oxford Playhouse, Mike Tweddle said:
“This Christmas, we’re thrilled to have Toby Hulse at the helm of our Playhouse pantomime once again, alongside our talented creative team. Toby’s qualities of playfulness, imagination and generosity always make for a magic formula. We couldn’t be more excited to share the weird and wonderful world of Dick Whittington with Oxfordshire audiences.”
Dick Whittington will have various accessible performances throughout the run, including a Relaxed performance (Thu 4 Dec at 6pm), BSL Signed performances (Fri 5 Dec at 10am and Thu 11 Dec at 6pm), Audio Described performances (Sat 6 Nov at 11am and Sat 3 Jan at 2pm), a Captioned performance (Fri 19 Dec at 3pm), and a Dementia Friendly performance (Fri 2 Jan at 2pm).
