Cinderella runs at Chelmsford Theatre 27 November to 3 January, from £19.50. 30 shows now limited, eight 6pm shows among them. Cast and every show time.

This year’s Chelmsford pantomime is Cinderella, at Chelmsford Theatre on Fairfield Road from Friday 27 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Tickets are on sale now at £19.50 to £34.50, the cast was announced on 12 October, and 30 performances, every weekend matinee before Christmas among them, are showing limited availability.

Overview

  • Cinderella, 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, 65 performances, 140 minutes each, including 19 weekday daytime shows booked mainly by schools but open to the public.
  • Sophia Duncan is Cinderella, in her first panto. Abi Carter-Simpson returns as the Fairy Godmother and Kane Verrall as Dandini.
  • Tickets £19.50 to £34.50. Every seat at the preview on Friday 27 November is £19.50. Family tickets run from £101 to £121.
  • Access shows: relaxed on Monday 28 December, captioned on Tuesday 29 December, BSL interpreted on Wednesday 30 December, all at 2pm.

Updated 11 November: 30 performances now show limited availability, up from 29. The 6pm shows on 5, 13, 21 and 22 December have joined the list, while the 10am schools shows on 1, 10 and 17 December are back to tickets available. Nothing is sold out, and prices are unchanged.

Updated 7 November: the council says more than 75% of seats were sold by 6 November, three weeks before opening, and three local children who won the theatre’s Voice of Panto competition recorded the pre-show announcements.

Updated 28 October: 29 performances now show limited availability, up from 21 on 14 October. Newly limited: the first weekend matinees, 2pm on 28 and 29 November; the 6pm shows on 19, 20 and 23 December; the 2pm show on 21 December; the 10am schools shows on 1 and 4 December; and the Boxing Day 2pm matinee. Nothing is sold out yet, and prices are unchanged.

Updated 14 October: Chelmsford Theatre has named the full cast and creative team. The schools performances are now on public sale, taking the run to 65 shows, and an extra 6pm show has appeared on Thursday 3 December. Prices are unchanged.

Every performance

The theatre’s booking page lists 65 performances across 32 days (Chelmsford Theatre, Cinderella). There are no shows on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve.

Date Times
Fri 27 Nov (preview) 6pm
Sat 28 and Sun 29 Nov 2pm, 6pm
Tue 1 and Wed 2 Dec 10am, 1.45pm (schools shows)
Thu 3 and Fri 4 Dec 10am (schools show), 6pm
Sat 5 and Sun 6 Dec 2pm, 6pm
Tue 8 to Thu 10 Dec 10am, 1.45pm (schools shows)
Fri 11 Dec 10am (schools show), 6pm
Sat 12 and Sun 13 Dec 2pm, 6pm
Tue 15 and Wed 16 Dec 10am, 1.45pm (schools shows)
Thu 17 Dec 10am, 1.45pm (schools shows), 6pm
Sat 19 and Sun 20 Dec 2pm, 6pm
Mon 21 to Wed 23 Dec 2pm, 6pm
Thu 24 Dec, Christmas Eve 11am, 3pm
Sat 26 Dec, Boxing Day 2pm, 6pm
Sun 27 Dec 10.30am, 2.30pm, 6.30pm
Mon 28 to Wed 30 Dec 2pm, 6pm
Fri 1 Jan, New Year’s Day 2pm, 6pm
Sat 2 and Sun 3 Jan 11am, 3pm

The schools performances opened to the public on 1 October, as the theatre said they would. Anyone can book them, which makes them the cheapest way to see the show on a weekday if you can get there for 10am or 1.45pm.

What is selling fastest

When we checked on 11 November, the theatre marked 30 performances as limited availability, up from 29 on 28 October, 21 on 14 October and eight on 28 September. None was sold out:

  • Every weekend 2pm matinee before Christmas: 28 and 29 November, and 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 December.
  • Eight 6pm shows: Saturday 5, Saturday 12, Sunday 13, Saturday 19, Sunday 20, Monday 21, Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 December.
  • Both Christmas Eve shows, the 2pm shows on 21, 22 and 23 December, the Boxing Day 2pm matinee and 2.30pm on Sunday 27 December.
  • Seven 10am schools shows: 2, 4, 8, 9, 11, 15 and 16 December.

Every other performance still showed tickets available, including every show from Monday 28 December to the last night on 3 January.

Prices

Ticket Price
Standard £19.50 to £34.50
Preview, Fri 27 Nov £19.50, every seat
Family ticket, Gold (super peak) £121
Family ticket, Silver (peak) £111
Family ticket, Bronze (non peak) £101
Family ticket, Green (schools shows) £80
School groups £15 each, one in every ten free
Groups of 10 or more 10% off

A family ticket covers two adults and two children, or one adult and three children. The group discount does not apply to the preview or the relaxed performance.

The theatre has also set up a School’s Panto Travel Fund this year, which helps qualifying schools with the cost of getting pupils to the show. The application details are on the theatre’s Cinderella page.

Access performances

  • Relaxed, sensory adapted: Monday 28 December, 2pm. The theatre says it suits anyone with special needs and very young children.
  • Captioned: Tuesday 29 December, 2pm.
  • BSL interpreted: Wednesday 30 December, 2pm.

Wheelchair spaces and essential companion tickets are booked through the theatre’s Access Scheme. Members of the scheme can book allocated seats at the front left of the stalls. The show contains flashing lights and loud noises.

A second Christmas show for younger children

The Studio runs The Owl Who Came for Christmas from Saturday 12 December to Saturday 2 January. It lasts 60 minutes and costs £16.50 to £19.50. Most days have shows at 10.30am and 1.30pm (Chelmsford Theatre).

Getting there and parking

Chelmsford Theatre is on Fairfield Road, CM1 1JG. The theatre says it is a ten-minute walk from Chelmsford station, with the bus station round the corner. Its own parking advice:

  • Townfield Street car park: open until 11pm Monday to Saturday, but it closes at 6pm on Sundays. That matters for the Sunday 6pm shows.
  • Coval Lane car park: entrance from Rainsford Lane, open all hours.
  • Fairfield Road car park: entrance from Coval Lane, open all hours, with restrictions before 5pm on weekdays.

Council car parks charge at all times and are cashless. Tariffs are on our parking in Chelmsford page. Rail changes over the holiday are on our Chelmsford Christmas trains page, and road closures on our roadworks and travel page.

The box office is on 01245 606505, open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

Who is in it

The council’s City Life announcement of 12 October names the full company. The show is produced with One From The Heart and co-written by Neil Bromley, who has starred in five Chelmsford pantos, and Tony Casement, their third together after Snow White (2024) and Aladdin (2025).

Role Actor
Cinderella Sophia Duncan, her panto debut and first leading role
Fairy Godmother Abi Carter-Simpson, returning; a Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist
Dandini Kane Verrall, returning
Buttons Daniel Meehan, his first panto
The Prince Samuel Levene
Ugly Sister Chlorine Beth Bradley
Ugly Sister Nicorette Jessie May

Both Ugly Sisters are played by women this year, which the theatre calls “a modern twist on panto tradition”. The ensemble is Ruby Doe (dance captain), Alice Forde, Cassie Money, Jack Yates, Corben Heward-Mills and Lawrie Banks. Ryan-Lee Seager returns as director and choreographer.

More this Christmas

Sources