Open auditions for our 2026 pantomime, Hansel & Gretel
Directors – Mike Cutmore and Stuart Williams
Mike and Stuart have a wealth of performing experience in musical theatre and panto and bring an innovative and enthusiastic approach to directing.
Choreographer – tbc
Production Week:
3rd – 6th December 2026 performances Thursday – Sunday, There will be 6 performances in total, with two shows on both Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th at 2pm and 7pm)
Rehearsals:
These will be a mixture of Sunday evenings at 4pm AND Monday evenings at 7pm. A full list is available within the audition form.
Audition arrangements:
Auditions are scheduled for Sunday 12th July at 4pm and Tuesday 14th July at 7.30pm. You only need to attend one audition. The auditions will be based around improvisation, with simple movement and song to be learned during the audition session.
Before you complete the audition registration form, please read the information about characters/playing ages below. You will need to upload a headshot photo to assist the audition panel.
SYNOPSIS
Loosely based on the folk story by the Brothers Grimm, this is a large cast pantomime, with lots of comedy elements (think Morecombe and Wise and other comedy duos).
CHARACTER DESCRIPTION (including playing age)
| Character | Role Type | Description |
| Hansel | Juvenile Lead | Actor 15-18. Brave, cheeky boy; brother to Gretel. Central hero. |
| Gretel | Principal Girl | Actor 15-18. Smart, kind, and brave; sister to Hansel. |
| Peggy Pumpernickel | Dame | Wally & Heather’s hilariously over-the-top mother. Classic pantomime Dame. |
| Deadly Nightshade | Villain | Female 40+. Evil witch who lives in the gingerbread cottage. |
| Bluebell | Good Fairy | Female 16+. Protects Hansel and Gretel; magical, kind, and powerful. |
| Fritz | Comic | H&G father. Henpecked. |
| Hildegard | The dramatic, bossy stepmother | The dramatic, bossy stepmother. She loves being in charge and often overreacts. |
| Heather | Kind daughter | Female. Kind, cheerful and warm hearted. She supports her family and reacts honestly to the chaos around her. |
| Wally | Comic fool | male 18-25. The main comic. Loud, confident and not very clever, but kind-hearted. Loves food and gets into silly situations. |
| Russell | Creepy but fun villain sidekicks. | Male 13+. Creepy but fun villain sidekicks. Physical movement-based roles. |
| Sheryl | Creepy but fun villain sidekicks. | Female 13+. Creepy but fun villain sidekicks. Physical movement-based roles. |
| Nutmeg | An absent-minded forager | Female 18-25. An absent-minded forager who often brings back the wrong things. Gentle, quirky and funny. |
| Basil | Forest ranger | Male 18+. The sensible forester. Calm and practical, often reacting to everyone else’s madness. |
| Prince Johann | Noble prince | Male & Female. The brave and noble hero. Confident, polite and determined to help. |
| Wolfgang | The Prince’s loyal assistant. | male or female 40+. The Prince’s loyal assistant. He is polite, serious and always supports the Prince. He can be funny by staying very formal while others are being silly. |
| Junior Chorus | Appear in various roles: | 5 actors + other key part characters allocated post audition. |
Closing date: 3rd July
To register your interest, please fill out the relevant form below.