Panto season might seem a long way off, but we’ve got big news for the planners: York Theatre Royal has just dropped some seriously exciting casting news for this year’s show. If you’ve got little ones who are fans of CBBC or CBeebies – or older kids who love Horrible Histories or Class Dismissed – they’re going to be very excited indeed.
Richard David-Caine is joining the cast of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and he’ll be playing the delightfully dastardly Herman the Henchman. You’ll know Richard from a whole host of children’s TV: he’s a core cast member of Horrible Histories and Horrible Science, and one half of the comedy duo Cook and Line in CBeebies’ BAFTA-winning hit Swashbuckle. But don’t be fooled by his family-friendly TV credentials. Richard is no panto newcomer – he’s a two-time National Pantomime Award winner, so he’s more than qualified to be our new favourite baddie!
Joining Richard on stage are two names York audiences already know and love – Tommy Carmichael and Robin Simpson will return after wowing crowds in last year’s Sleeping Beauty.
This year’s panto is in very safe hands. Snow White is written by Paul Hendy, directed by Juliet Forster, and co-produced with Evolution Productions, the award-winning team responsible for previous York hits including Jack and the Beanstalk, Aladdin and last year’s Sleeping Beauty.
Expect lavish costumes, stunning sets, hilarious jokes and dazzling special effects, everything you’d hope for from a York panto. The show runs from 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, with a packed schedule of performances across the festive season including matinees, evening shows, and a range of accessible performances:
- – Relaxed Performance: Thu 10 Dec
- – Dementia Friendly Performance: Wed 16 Dec
- – British Sign Language Interpreted Performance: Mon 21 Dec
- – Audio Described Performance: Tue 29 Dec
- – Captioned Performance: Wed 30 Dec
As always, we’d recommend booking early for the best price!
