If there’s one thing more iconic than the Palladium’s legendary revolving stage, it’s the venue’s century-long love affair with pantomime. The first ever panto to tread its hallowed boards was Dick Whittington and His Cat in 1914, and the tradition quickly became a fixture of London’s festive season. From then on, the Palladium became synonymous with Christmas magic, hosting a dazzling roster of pantomimes that combined star power, lavish spectacle, and the kind of joyous chaos that only panto can deliver.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cinderella has been the Palladium’s most enduring fairytale. Since its first outing in 1915, the rags-to-riches classic has been staged nine times at the theatre. And what a guest list it boasted! Over the decades, audiences thrilled to see a roll call of British entertainment royalty take part: Julie Andrews, Jon Pertwee, Ronnie Corbett, Des O’Connor, Tommy Trinder, Evelyn Laye, George & Bert Bernard, Max Bygraves, Terry Scott, Richard O’Sullivan, Brian Murphy, Dame Anna Neagle, Paul Nicholas – and, in one particularly unforgettable staging, The Adorable Tanya, a live baby elephant who stole the show. Only in panto!

But Cinderella was far from the only story to weave its spell at the Palladium. Aladdin and Dick Whittington have each been staged six times, while Babes in the Wood charmed audiences across four separate productions. The Palladium became the gold standard for pantomimes, famed for spectacular sets, elaborate costumes, and surprise celebrity appearances. By the mid-20th century, a Christmas trip to the Palladium panto had become a family tradition for Londoners and tourists alike.

What makes pantomime so beloved is its uniquely British blend of slapstick comedy, audience participation (“Oh yes it is!”), gender-bending dames, sparkling musical numbers, topical jokes, and a wink-nudge sense of mischief that delights children and adults in equal measure. The Palladium’s productions embodied that spirit on the grandest scale – with chorus lines, special effects, and a starry mix of West End favourites, music hall veterans, and TV personalities.

Remarkably, in the Palladium’s first 73 years (1914–1987), there were only 15 years without a pantomime. But after the curtain fell on Babes in the Wood in 1987, the theatre stepped away from the tradition for nearly three decades. That was until 2016, when the panto returned in triumphant fashion with Cinderella, produced by Qdos Entertainment, re-establishing the Palladium as the West End’s festive panto capital once more. Since then, annual pantomimes have again become a fixture, bringing modern stars like Julian Clary, Dawn French, Nigel Havers, and Jennifer Saunders into the pantomime canon, proving the form is as glittering and mischievous as ever.