King’s Head Theatre has announced the full cast for its 2026 pantomime Dick Whittington and His Cat, with Joseph Vella taking on the title role alongside Patricia Wilkins, Sé Carr and Ash Weir.
The newly announced cast joins previously revealed RuPaul’s Drag Race UK favourites Victoria Scone and River Medway, who will appear as Dragpuss and Queen Rat respectively.
Written and directed by Andrew Pollard, winner of Best Writer at the 2026 UK Pantomime Awards, Dick Whittington and His Cat runs from 22 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. A separate late-night production, Dick Whittington: Adults Only, will run from 26 November 2026 to 2 January 2027.
Vella, whose credits include Mamma Mia!, Pretty Woman and Becoming Nancy, will play Dick Whittington. He is joined by Patricia Wilkins as Alice Fitzgerald, actor, singer and drag artist Sé Carr, also known as Jamie Fuxx, as Ding-Dong/Elvis Pawsley, and Ash Weir as Anne Semble and understudy.
The production reunites Victoria Scone with the King’s Head Theatre following her appearance as Dame Trott in last year’s Jack and the Beanstalk, while River Medway makes her venue debut as Queen Rat.
Pollard said, “I’m absolutely thrilled with the company we’ve brought together for Dick Whittington and His Cat this year. Joseph, Patricia, Sé and Ash are all brilliant performers with such a fantastic range of skills, and they join Victoria and River to make a cast that feels perfectly suited to the joyful, mischievous and gloriously theatrical spirit of the King’s Head panto.
“Dick Whittington is such a great London story, and I can’t wait to get this company into the room and start bringing our version of it to life for audiences of all ages — and, of course, for the rather less well-behaved audiences coming to Adults Only.”
Alongside the family-friendly production, the theatre will once again stage Dick Whittington: Adults Only, offering an alternative late-night version of the classic tale following the popularity of previous years’ performances.
The theatre is also continuing its Golden Bells Pay It Forward scheme, which provides free tickets for children and families who might otherwise be unable to attend. Through its partnership with the Mayor of Islington’s 11 by 11 scheme, more than 2,250 schoolchildren have attended productions at the venue free of charge over the past two years.
Amber Massie-Blomfield and James Quaife said, “Pantomime is such an important part of Christmas at the King’s Head, and we want as many people as possible from our local community to be able to experience it. The Golden Bells Pay-it-Forward Ticket Scheme has already enabled thousands of children to come through our doors, many of them for their first experience of live theatre, and we’re enormously proud to continue the scheme this year.
“Alongside the Golden Bells Ticket Scheme, our Pay What You Can performances and £15 tickets are part of our wider commitment to keeping the King’s Head accessible. At a time when family budgets are under real pressure, it feels more important than ever that a trip to the theatre can remain part of Christmas for families across Islington and beyond.”
The creative team includes Nicky Bunch, Elize Layton, George W. Parris, Alex Lewer, Anna Smart and Robin Lill, with general management by James Quaife for Luminous Entertainment Group.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
