Comedy legends Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will reunite on stage for the first time in 17 years in this year’s London Palladium Pantomime, appearing as the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella.
They join Palladium favourite Julian Clary, who returns wand in hand as The Fairy Godfather. Regulars Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers and Rob Madge will also appear as the pantomime enters its 11th season.
Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 2 April 2026, with priority booking opening from Tuesday 31 March at 10am at www.palladiumpantomime.com.
French and Saunders, who became household names thanks to their hit BBC sketch show and recent podcast French & Saunders: Titting About, step back into the Palladium spotlight following separate previous turns in festive productions at the venue.
Dawn French appeared as Queen Dragonella in Snow White in 2018 and 2019, later returning as Dame Trot in Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022. Jennifer Saunders made her Palladium pantomime debut in the 2023 season of Peter Pan as Captain Hook.
Dawn and Jennifer said: “We have wished to play the Ugly Sisters for so many years, it feels this is the fulfilment of a dream – a dream our hearts made. Watch out. It won’t be pretty.”
The 2026 production also marks the 11th consecutive year that Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin and Nigel Havers have appeared in every Palladium Panto since the tradition was revived in 2016 with Cinderella. Rob Madge returns following a hugely popular debut in the 2022 production of Jack and the Beanstalk.
The cast also features Dex Lee as Prince Charming and Hope Dawe as Cinderella, both making their Palladium Panto debuts this Christmas.
Producer and director Michael Harrison said: “Last year’s production of Sleeping Beauty broke all records at the London Palladium. We always want to raise the bar for our incredible panto audiences each year, so I’m absolutely delighted that Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will be starring in this year’s Cinderella. Having two of the nation’s most beloved comedy icons together on the Palladium stage is incredibly exciting. Their legendary chemistry and razor-sharp humour will make this a truly special experience for audiences.”
Audiences can expect the spectacular costumes, special effects and comedy that have made the Palladium Pantomime the home of festive entertainment over the past decade.
The creative team includes set designer Mark Walters and costume designers Hugh Durrant, Teresa Nalton and Mike Coltman. Choreography is by Karen Bruce, with visual effects from The Twins FX, lighting from Ben Cracknell, sound from Matt Peploe and composition and orchestrations by George Dyer.
Last year’s 10th anniversary production of Sleeping Beauty set a new record for the largest audience across a five-week season, with more than 137,000 people attending, surpassing the previous record of 132,000 for Robin Hood in 2024.
Cinderella is produced and directed by Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes, the world’s largest pantomime producer.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
