He’s Behind You! will return to Charing Cross Theatre this Christmas with a brand-new adult pantomime, Cinderella: Buttons Undone!, running from 21 November 2026 to 9 January 2027.
Following the success of Beauty and the Beast: A Horny Love Story, the UK Pantomime Award-winning company is back with another irreverent festive spectacular, promising sharp humour, original songs and plenty of pantomime chaos.
Set in the fading seaside resort of Lob-on-Sea, the story follows hotel maid Cindy, whose life is made miserable by her gangster stepmother Ida Bigschitt and her siblings Mercedes and Bentley. Her chance of escape appears when tennis champion and eligible bachelor Ivan Yassandvich begins searching for a bride following his victory at the town’s inaugural tennis open.
However, things quickly spiral out of control when Cindy’s best friend Buttons ends up in Ivan’s bed instead, setting the stage for a festive farce packed with romance, disguises, gangsters and misunderstandings.
Returning to the company’s annual pantomime is Matthew Baldwin as Mercedes and Chris Lane as Bentley, a pairing set to bring plenty of comedy and sibling rivalry to the production.
The show is co-written by Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper, with original songs by Bradfield. Direction comes from Andrew Beckett, with musical direction and orchestrations by Aaron Clingham and choreography by Carole Todd.
Speaking about the new production, Jon Bradfield said: “We’ll be celebrating all the famous Cinderella moments, but not quite as you’d expect! We’ve had huge fun creating our version so that our wonderful muse Matthew Baldwin can bring his legendary dame skills to Mercedes with our brilliant regular collaborator Chris Lane as her brother Bentley.
“Making theatre that people look forward to with friends as their Christmas treat each year is a joy, especially when you can make it with a team that you respect, love and trust. Adult panto doesn’t just allow us to make the kind of toxically rude jokes that I feel embarrassed about if I have family watching. It gives us the freedom to tell gay-centred stories within a big, shiny, magical, epic, popular and uniquely theatrical form.”
The production will feature set design by David Shields, costumes by Robert Draper, lighting design by Matt Hockley and sound design by Andrew Johnson, and is produced by Oli Sones for He’s Behind You!
Suitable for audiences aged 18 and over, Cinderella: Buttons Undone! promises a gloriously chaotic and unapologetically queer celebration of pantomime tradition with a thoroughly modern twist.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
