Birmingham Hippodrome announces amazing result on panto starring Alison Hammond

Birmingham Hippodrome has today (Friday 26 January) announced the biggest attendance at its Christmas panto since 2004.

This year’s hilarious show starring Brummie Queen Alison Hammond alongside the city’s Pantomime King Matt Slack has welcomed a whopping 120,000 people to the show which opened before Christmas. It's an astonishing result as the theatre celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.

If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, you’re in luck - there are performances running over the weekend with the last one on Sunday (January 28). Featuring stunning sets and costumes from The London Palladium, and bundle-loads of laughter, the Jack and the Beanstalk is UK’s biggest regional panto.

Starring alongside Alison and Matt, who is celebrating his tenth year of panto at the Hippodrome, is Eastenders star Samantha Womack, Doreen Tipton as Doreen the Cow, panto dame extraordinaire Andrew Ryan, Brummie local Alexanda O’Reilly in the title role and West-End performer Billie-Kay as Princess Jill.  

Birmingham Hippodrome have also recently announced their next pantomime will be Peter Pan, running from Saturday 21 December. Speaking about the highest number of panto goers in the last 20 years a Birmingham Hippodrome Jon Gilchrist, the theatre’s Artistic Director and Chief Executive, said: “This is an amazing start to our 125th year. 

“Our pantomime is truly one of the best in the country and I’m thrilled that so many people have experienced the joy of this brilliant production over the past six weeks. We’re already seeing a fantastic response to Peter Pan. We're delighted audiences are as excited as us for our next panto season!”

Chief Executive of Crossroads Pantomimes, Michael Harrison, who both produced and directed Jack and the Beanstalk said: “We’ve had a brilliant panto season at Birmingham Hippodrome in the company of a sensational cast and hugely talented company. 

“I’m immensely proud of the production, and it’s an honour that record numbers of people have joined us to enjoy the magic of Jack and the Beanstalk. Our friends at Birmingham Hippodrome are exceptional hosts and we’re grateful to them for having worked so tirelessly to make all of us at Crossroads Pantomimes and 120,000 visitors welcome across the season.” Tickets for Jack and the Beanstalk and Peter Pan can be booked at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or by calling 0844 338 5000 (0844 calls will cost you 4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge).