Christiana Rose

​​​​​​​Operation Ouch: Quest for the Jurassic Fart! arrives at the Royal Festival Hall with all the confidence and chaos audiences have come to expect from television’s favourite medical mischief makers. Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken deliver a high energy family show that balances silliness with genuine scientific insight, creating a riotous theatrical experience which keeps children captivated, while giving adults plenty to ponder.

Pinocchio at the Globe Theatre is a radiant and heartfelt triumph which transforms a much loved story into a richly imaginative new musical. The atmosphere is electric, with the standing audience filling the lower space, with a striking set emblazoned with giant letters spelling PINOCCHIO framed by grand red curtains, ensuring the sense of occasion is unmistakable.

Operation Ouch has never been afraid of diving into the strange, messy and marvellously human parts of science. Yet its latest stage adventure, Operation Ouch: Quest for the Jurassic Fart!, takes audiences further than ever before. Landing at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall for a strictly limited festive season from 22 December 2025 to 2 January 2026, the show promises lasers, time travel, dinosaurs and a mission to recreate the world’s most ancient fart.

Little Bulb’s The Nutcracker arrives in the West End as a celebration of imagination, music and collective joy. This Olivier Award nominated production proves why the company is so beloved by family audiences, offering a festive adventure that is both wildly silly and deeply thoughtful. With its homemade aesthetic, infectious energy and generous heart it is children's theatre at its most alive.

Unicorn Theatre’s festive offering this season is a wonderfully eccentric Santa-based delight. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? transforms Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s much loved picture book into a piece of bold physical theatre , which celebrates curiosity, imagination and joyful nonsense. In its first collaboration with Told by an Idiot, Unicorn Theatre delivers a Christmas show that feels mischievous inventive and refreshingly unpredictable.

Punchdrunk Enrichment has created a thoughtful world designed to captivate young audiences and invite their grown ups to rediscover the shared joy of storytelling. Fireside Tales offers a rich and atmospheric experience for children aged seven to eleven, that blends imagination and collective reflection with the company’s trademark attention to detail.

Potted Panto returns to Wilton’s Music Hall for a triumphant third season and once again confirms why it remains a beloved fixture of the festive calendar. Presented by James Seabright in association with Wilton’s Music Hall, this Olivier Award nominated whirlwind offers seven pantomimes in a brisk eighty minutes, carried by the endlessly energetic duo Daniel Clarkson and Gary Trainor. Their chemistry is instant and infectious, powering a production which thrives on slapstick, satire and affectionate irreverence.

The Storm Whale arrives at Little Angel Theatre Studios with a gentle sense of wonder which feels perfectly attuned to Benji Davies’ much loved book. This co production with York Theatre Royal, The Marlowe Theatre and Engine House captures the tenderness of the story, while expanding the world with inventive staging and a quietly affecting emotional core. Aimed at audiences aged four to eight, it offers enough depth and warmth for adults to feel thoroughly engaged too.

Paddington the Musical arrives at the Savoy Theatre with a heart full of hope and a suitcase packed with marmalade flavoured charm, delivering a joyous celebration of inclusion, diversity and equality in every beat.

The National Theatre offers a truly enchanting festive treat with Ballet Shoes which returns to the Olivier under the confident and imaginative direction of Katy Rudd. Kendall Feaver’s new version of Noel Streatfeild’s beloved novel feels both timeless and refreshingly alive, delivered with intelligence and a deep understanding of the story’s levels and enduring charm.

Murder She Didn't Write returns to the Duchess Theatre with another round of improvised mischief. This long running show continues to charm audiences on its tour across the UK, with its origins being an Edinburgh Fringe favourite.

Little Angel Theatre once again excel as a leader in early years storytelling with its gentle and beautifully crafted production of Me..., adapted from the much loved book by Emma Dodd and directed by Samantha Lane. Aimed at children aged two to five, the 35 minute show offers an inviting first experience of theatre, which is both visually enchanting and emotionally reassuring.

Hal Cruttenden is at truly at the top of his game, in his skilled and polished new show Hal Cruttenden: Can Dish It Out But Can’t Take It. The comedy is focused on schadenfreude, in terms of rawness and pain, by being brutally honest about the effects of heartbreak. 

Tove Jansson’s beloved final Moomin tale finds new life in Moominvalley in November, a tender and contemplative musical which opens Upstairs at the Gatehouse. Co-produced by Nummulite and Chromolume, this adaptation by Swedish-born composer Hans Jacob Hoeglund delicately explores themes of grief, belonging and quiet resilience, staying true to the author’s reflective tone and emotional depth.

Jessica Fostekew’s Iconic Breath is a rich, raucous and deeply human exploration of emotion, irritation and endurance, told with warmth and wit. Across a fast-paced hour, she dissects the chaos of contemporary existence with an honesty which is as refreshing as it is uproarious. Fostekew greets the Soho Theatre audience like old friends, delighted by their midweek energy which she declares feels “more Thursday than Wednesday.” It is an opening which sets the tone for an evening built on connection, authenticity and the joyful absurdity of self-reflection.

Matt Parker has built a career out of making mathematics marvellously merry. Getting Triggy With It proves that when it comes to comedy, numbers can surprise and inspire.   Appearing before a packed and enthusiastic audience at artsdepot, the stand-up mathematician, author and YouTube sensation delivered an evening brimming with intellectual mischief, infectious enthusiasm and genuine laughter.

Writer Jessica Swale shares insights on adapting Paddington the Musical, exploring kindness and collaboration in this exciting new production.

James Phelan’s latest production, The Man Who Was Magic, arrives at the Adelphi Theatre for one night only after a triumphant Edinburgh run and confirms his reputation as a magician with both flair and heart. The show opens to the smooth sounds of the Rat Pack and swing, the stage bathed in the warm glow of gold and red lanterns, which evoke a nostalgic atmosphere and invite the audience into a world of wonder.