Portsmouth's 2026 panto: two beanstalks to choose from

Panto season is about to land across Portsmouth and Fareham, and the beanstalk is doing double duty this year. Both the Kings Theatre in Southsea and Fareham Live are staging Jack and the Beanstalk, so if you are weighing up where to take the family, it helps to know what each production is bringing to the table.

The Kings Theatre version, billed as the Pompey Panto, runs from Saturday 5 December to Thursday 31 December at 20-24 Albert Road, PO5 2QJ. The cast is built around some familiar faces: Jack Edwards is back for his twelfth panto as Dame Trott, Shaun Williamson plays the baddie Fleshcreep, and X Factor finalist Sean Smith takes the title role of Jack. Joe Pollard plays Silly Simon, Stephanie Aves is Jill, and Catherine Saunders is the Spirit of the Beans. It is a busy run with multiple showtimes most days, including family matinees and evening slots, and a good spread of school performances across mid-December. There is a BSL-interpreted show on 5 December at 2pm and a relaxed performance on 12 December at 10:30am for anyone who needs a quieter environment. Tickets start at £10, with £2 off for under-16s, family tickets and group rates from £27 for 20 or more, and a £3 discount for members. The theatre seats 1,450 and there is free street parking nearby, which is handy for a quick get-in and get-out with kids in tow.

Over in Fareham, Fareham Live is running its version from Friday 11 December to Sunday 3 January at the former Ferneham Hall on Osbourn Road, PO16 7DB. The venue is operated by Trafalgar Theatres on behalf of Fareham Borough Council, and the production is sponsored by Stagecoach Performing Arts. The Dame is played by Anne Hegerty, best known from The Chase, with Josiah Eloi returning for his second year in the role. The story follows the usual beats: the Trotts are poor, an evil giant terrorises the village, and Jack swaps Buttercup the family cow for magic beans before climbing to the land of giants. It runs about 125 minutes with a 20-minute interval and is aimed at ages three and up. BSL-interpreted, audio-described, captioned and relaxed performances are all on the bill, so it is worth checking the venue's accessible-performances page before you book. Tickets are sold by the venue, with the opening weekend of 12-13 December and the closing weekend of 2-3 January flagged as the best value. The main auditorium takes around 800 people, there are roughly 1,400 parking spaces within walking distance that go free after 6pm, and there are plenty of places to eat nearby, plus ice creams and drinks at the venue itself.

Between the two, you have a choice of a big Southsea cast with a long run of dates or a Fareham production with a familiar face at the helm. Either way, the beanstalk is well covered this winter, so it comes down to which cast you would rather see and which venue suits your plans best.