Wicked Witches – A Popular Panto
20 November 2025
The Pleasance Theatre
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Wicked Witches – A Popular Panto! is back with a brand new production that includes an adult-only as well as a family friendly version, playing at the Pleasance theatre until 28th December. The show is modern, filled with current references and hit songs to delight young and old alike.
In the borough of Oz-lington, the Good Witch has taken the economy by storm with her Pop Shop, supplying all of Oz-lington with all kinds of products they do not need, while the Wicked Witch is concerned about the Blizzard of Oz, a threatening weather phenomenon heading their way. Through a stray snowstorm, Dor (formerly Dorothy) is dragged back to Oz, thrown into the bitter feud between the witches and tasked with once again saving the day, while Tin, Scarecrow, and Lion all need to chose their alliances along the way.
Wicked Witches has created a hilarious follow-up to the well known story, hurling the Emerald City into modern day London and peppering it with contemporary references, jokes, and hit songs. The story is well constructed, interesting while being simple enough for a panto, appealing to modern audiences of any age with a high-energy romp through Oz-lington. Rousing the audience with typical panto interactions and brilliant sing-alongs to Golden and Hot To Go, it’s a feast of jokes and pop-culture references.
The production made big headlines when both Jeremy Corbyn and Ian McKellen were cast to feature, on video screen, in the show, with the former mayor taking on the role as the Wizard of Oz-lington, while McKellen takes on Toto the dog. The short appearances are not only a big draw, but also a fun addition to the panto, with McKellen delivering a tremendous performance as a washed-up rock star dog obsessed with cats and reminiscing about his ruff lifestyle.
There is a lot of heart and love poured into this production, and it really shows. The high-octane show is brilliantly entertaining, hilariously weird, and filled to the brim with panto goodness. If you only visit one panto this festive season, make it this one!
