From Wonka’s chocolate factory and a Nottingham panto institution to a much-loved railway adventure, December is looking ridiculously good for East Midlands theatre fans.

Christmas theatre season is nearly upon us, which means it’s almost time to voluntarily spend an evening shouting “HE’S BEHIND YOU” at a professional actor while somebody dressed as a dame makes jokes that sail approximately three feet above your children’s heads.

But pantomime isn’t the only thing happening on East Midlands stages this December.

From Willy Wonka in Leicester and a fairytale spectacular in Lincoln to Aladdin in Nottingham and a much-loved railway adventure in Derby, we’ve picked the shows worth booking this Christmas.

So whether you want full-on festive silliness, a massive musical or something a bit different, these are the shows we’d have on our December hit list.

🍫 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Curve, Leicester

21 November 2026 to 16 January 2027

Leicester has only gone and got itself a golden ticket.

Curve’s big Christmas production this year is a brand-new staging of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Curve artistic director Nikolai Foster.

And they’re not exactly thinking small.

Charlie, Grandpa Joe, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt and the Oompa-Loompas are all heading through Wonka’s gates, with the stage production promising everything from the chocolate river to the Great Glass Elevator.

You’ll also get the songs everyone actually wants to hear, including The Candy Man, The Oompa Loompa Song and, obviously, Pure Imagination. The show runs for approximately two-and-a-half hours and has an age guidance of eight-plus.

Why we’d go: Of all this year’s East Midlands Christmas shows, this has the strongest big West End night out without actually going to London energy.

🚂 The Railway Children, Derby Theatre

27 November 2026 to 2 January 2027

If your Christmas theatre tastes lean more towards “warm fuzzy feeling” than “panto dame chasing someone around the stage”, Derby has you covered.

Derby Theatre is staging the Olivier Award-winning adaptation of E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children.

The story follows Roberta, Peter and Phyllis after they’re uprooted from London and find themselves living beside a railway in rural Derbyshire.

Expect imaginative staging, music and plenty of that old-fashioned, ridiculously Christmassy feeling that everything might turn out alright in the end.

Performances run throughout December, with tickets listed between £22.50 and £38 and a recommended age of five-plus.

Why we’d go: It’s a lovely alternative for anyone who wants their festive family theatre without being made to shout “OH NO IT ISN’T” every seven minutes.

🧞 Aladdin, Nottingham Playhouse

27 November 2026 to 16 January 2027

There are certain Nottingham Christmas traditions you simply don’t mess with.

Market Square lights. Questionable quantities of mulled wine.

And the Nottingham Playhouse panto.

This year’s offering is Aladdin, with Nottingham panto favourite John Elkington returning as Widow Twankey. Danny Hendrix plays Aladdin, with Bradley Judge as Wishy Washy.

The Playhouse is promising spectacular costumes, special effects and the sort of comedy chaos we’ve come to expect from its annual panto.

Tickets start from £18, with performances running right through December and into January. There are also captioned, audio-described and BSL-interpreted dates, plus relaxed and dementia-friendly performances in January.

Why we’d go: Nottingham Playhouse panto is basically its own genre at this point.

🥀 Beauty and the Beast, New Theatre Royal Lincoln

1 December 2026 to 3 January 2027

Lincoln is going full fairytale this Christmas, with Beauty and the Beast taking over the gorgeous New Theatre Royal Lincoln.

The city’s long-running annual panto will see Louis Smith MBE, Olympic medallist and Strictly Come Dancing winner, return for his fourth Lincoln pantomime, this time playing Flash Hugo.

He’ll be joined by returning Lincoln dame Alex Singh as Mrs Tallulah Potts, while Ellis Nicole and James Slade take the lead roles of Belle and the Beast. Natalia Helana once again writes, directs and produces the show, as well as appearing as Miss Tickle.

Expect the usual combination of big costumes, terrible jokes, audience participation and at least one child absolutely screaming themselves hoarse when somebody asks whether they’ve seen the baddie.

🌱 Jack and the Beanstalk, Theatre Royal Nottingham

28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027

Nottingham actually gives you two major pantos to choose from this Christmas.

Over at the Theatre Royal Nottingham, it’s Jack and the Beanstalk, and they’ve assembled quite the cast.

Rob Rinder, Samantha Womack, Neil Hurst, Mary Mac, Matthew Croke and Mia Kobayashi are among the names confirmed for the production, which runs through December until 3 January. Tickets are currently listed from £18 to £49.50.

Why we’d go: If you want the big, shiny, celebrity-packed traditional panto, this is probably the one.

👠 Cinderella, Nottingham Playhouse

Christmas 2026

Yes, Nottingham Playhouse is doing two Cinderellas’ worth of Christmas theatre this year. Well, sort of.

While Aladdin takes over the main stage, the venue’s smaller Neville Studio is getting its own new production of Cinderella, created specifically for children aged three to eight.

It’s written by Katie Arnstein, directed by Tristan Jackson-Pate and features original music by Jude Taylor.

At just 50 minutes long, with audience interaction and songs, it’s aimed squarely at little ones who might not yet be ready to sit through a huge two-hour Christmas spectacular. Creative captioning is incorporated into the production, with further captioned, relaxed and BSL-interpreted performances and touch tours on selected dates.

Why we’d go: Possibly the best choice on this list for a child’s first ever theatre trip.

🐱 The Owl and the Pussycat, Derby Theatre

5 December 2026 to 9 January 2027

Derby is also doubling up this Christmas.

While The Railway Children occupies the main house, Derby Theatre is staging The Owl and the Pussycat from 5 December.

The theatre lists BSL-integrated performances alongside creative captions and audio-description provision.

Why we’d go: Another good option when you’ve got younger children and the thought of getting them through an enormous Christmas musical fills you with more fear than festive joy.

🎄 The Muppet Christmas Carol with a live orchestra, Nottingham

4 December 2026

We’re stretching the definition of “theatre show” slightly here.

We don’t care.

Because The Muppet Christmas Carol Film with Live Orchestra is coming to Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall.

Yes, that Muppet Christmas Carol.

The Michael Caine one. The one everyone should be legally required to watch at least once every December.

The film will be screened while its music is performed live, with tickets currently listed from £36.50 to £73.50.

Why we’d go: Because it’s The Muppet Christmas Carol. With a live orchestra. We don’t feel further justification should be necessary.

One more thing: Derby’s Christmas Sign & Sing

This isn’t a conventional theatre show, but it deserves a mention, particularly after the story we recently covered about accessibility and Deaf audiences.

Christmas Sign & Sing 2026 takes place at Derby Theatre on 7 December, with carols and Christmas performances from Derby’s Deaf community. The event is fully accessible through BSL, and proceeds are going to East Midlands Deaf Children’s Camp and Derby Deaf Children’s Society. Tickets are £14, or £7.50 for under-26s.

That sounds like a pretty lovely way to start Christmas.