Brummie queen Alison Hammond to star in Birmingham Hippodrome’s Christmas Panto 2023: dates & more

Brummie queen Alison Hammond is certainly getting about these days - from This Morning to the Great British Bake Off, it’s great to see our talented star doing so well.

And now it has been announced that Alison will be joining the 2023 Christmas Panto at Birmingham Hippodrome - starring alongside Matt Slack, who will be returning for his tenth year.

This year’s production will be Jack and the Beanstalk which will also feature regular Brummie panto stars Doreen Tipton as Doreen The Cow and panto dame extraordinaire Andrew Ryan.

This is not the first time that Alison has performed in a Jack and the Beanstalk production. In 2013/14, she appeared on stage in a production of the classic children’s story at The Deco, Northampton. The This Morning presenter has previously performed in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Aladdin.

The Hippodrome’s family-friendly production of Jack and the Beanstalk is not to be missed - and will feature stunning Olivier-nominated sets and dazzling costumes from The London Palladium, plus bundle-loads of laughter.

The bubbly and charming Alison - who was recently a guest on Joe Lycett’s late night chat show - is delighted to be perfroming live in Birmingham once more, saying: “It’s no secret that I love panto and I love Birmingham, so being able to be part of the legendary Birmingham Hippodrome pantomime is a dream come true! I’m super excited that I’ll be starring in Jack and the Beanstalk later this year alongside the hilarious Matt, Doreen and Andrew.”

Jack and hte Beanstalk The Panto will be at Birmingham Hippodrome production from Sat Dec 16, 2023 to Sun Jan 28, 2024 - and tickets are on sale now (booking details are below).

What else is on at Birmingham Hippodrome?

Birmingham Hippodrome has also announced its new programme of productions for 2024. These include:

• The remarkable story of one of the world’s greatest vocal groups and the woman who made them in The Drifters Girl (Tues 16 – Sat 20 Apr 2024),
• The Olivier Award-winning reimagined production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s celebrated musical Jesus Christ Superstar (Mon 22- Sat 27 Apr 2024) and
• The iconic song-and-dance spectacular 42^nd Street (Mon 29 Apr – Sat 4 May 2024).
• These productions join the previously announced Life of Pi (Mon 12 – Sat 17 Feb 2024) and
• Wicked (Tue 5 Mar – Sun 7 Apr 2024).

Patrick Studio productions

Dear Santa (Mon 11 – Sun 24 Dec) will take little ones on an adventure when Santa, with the help of his cheeky Elf, tries to deliver the most fantastic Christmas present to Sarah just in time for Christmas Eve. From the author of the well-loved children’s book Dear Zoo, Rod Campbell’s Dear Santa is an ideal introduction to theatre for those aged two and over.

This November (Thu 9 Nov), Birmingham Hippodrome Associate Sonia Sabri Company will present Roshni; a soul-stirring, captivating combination of Kathak dance, with live music and vocals, driven by the bold rhythms of Tabla percussion. Roshni brings together Sonia’s distinctive style of dance, rooted in the traditions of Kathak from Northern India, yet reimagined in the context of her lived British experience.

Matthew Bourne’s magical dance production of Edward Scissorhands returns to Birmingham Hippodrome next February (Tues 6 – Sat 10 Feb 2024). Based on the classic Tim Burton movie and featuring the hauntingly beautiful music of Danny Elfman and Terry Davies, the production has carved a place in the hearts of audiences worldwide since its premiere in 2005.

Special performances

There will be a range of Audio Described, Captioned, BSL interpreted and relaxed performances throughout the season, to find out more head to the Hippodrome’s accessible performances web page.

What has Birmingham Hippodrome said about its new programme?

Jon Gilchrist, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer at Birmingham Hippodrome said: “We have an incredible season ahead of us, here at the Hippodrome. Our programme is packed with productions that are guaranteed to provide those all-important goosebumps that make attending live performance such a special event.

“Having Alison Hammond join Matt, Doreen and Andrew in panto is the icing on the cake. We cannot wait to welcome her and know that audiences across the West Midlands will be as excited as we are to see her in Jack and the Beanstalk.”

Where to buy tickets?

Tickets for Jack and the Beanstalk are now on sale. Tickets for all new season shows will go on sale to Friends of Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 20 April at 11am and on general sale on Monday 24 April at 11am.

There will be a range of Audio Described, Captioned, BSL interpreted and relaxed performances throughout the season, to find out more head to the Hippodrome’s accessible performances web page. Tickets for all shows can be booked at Birmingham Hippodrome or by calling 0844 338 5000*. Please note:*0844 calls will cost you 4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.