We're going to see Dick Whittington at the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight

Every December I make the same promise: one proper Christmas family outing, not just a supermarket dash and a film on the sofa. This year it's actually in the diary. We're going to see Dick Whittington at the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight, on the press and guest night on Sunday 6 December 2026 at 6.30pm.

It's a panto I've never seen on a stage, which is odd given how long it has been a Christmas staple. So this post is what I know so far: the story, the cast, the practical bits for taking kids on a Sunday night, and how to book if you fancy it with your lot.

Why the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight is worth the trip

Port Sunlight is the model village built by Lever Brothers just outside Birkenhead, and in December it does the Christmas thing properly. The Gladstone Theatre sits in the middle of it, and this year's panto comes from Dreamworld Entertainments, who are promising the streets of Port Sunlight will be "paved with gold this Christmas".

What appeals to me is the size of the place. It's a proper local theatre rather than an arena, so the kids are close enough to the stage to actually see King Rat's face and to get shouted at during the inevitable "oh no you aren't" section. With a six and a half year old's attention span in mind, that matters more than a big set.

What happens in Dick Whittington

The story has been knocking about for centuries. A poor lad from the West Country walks to London because he's heard the streets are paved with gold, picks up a cat along the way, gets tangled up with the rats in the kitchen and ends up as Lord Mayor thanks to the bells of Bow. In panto form you also get the furniture that makes it work: a dame, a villain to boo, a fairy, a love story and at least one song the adults will recognise.

Who's in the cast

• Darren John Langford, best known for Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, as King Rat

• Lewis Pryor as Dick Whittington

• Sarah Craig as Fairy Bowbells

• Emily Payne as Alice Fitzwarren

• Michael Chapman as Sarah the Cook

• Michael Alan Bailey as Pie-man Simon

Sarah the Cook is the dame, which means Michael Chapman has the job of wearing outfits nobody else on the bill would agree to. King Rat is the one my two will be practising their boos for on the drive over.

Panto with kids: what I'm planning this time

I've done enough family theatre trips to know that the show is only half the job. The other half is the logistics. Here's my plan.

• Explain the plot on the way. "He's behind you" only works if they know who is behind whom. Five minutes in the car saves twenty minutes of confused whispering.

• Eat before we leave. A 6.30pm start means dinner at about 4.45pm or a very late tea. I'd rather eat early than spend the second half negotiating about snacks.

• Book the aisle. Two kids, one interval, one guaranteed toilet trip. An aisle seat turns a disruption into a two-second shuffle.

• Take a jumper each. Theatres are either roasting or Baltic, and I've never once guessed right.

• Accept that Sunday night is a school night. I don't have the running time confirmed yet, so I'll work out what time we realistically get home (But it's going to be late). Monday morning might be rough. It's December, it's allowed.

Panto is the one outing that works for a mixed audience

The reason I keep coming back to panto rather than yet another winter light trail is that it is genuinely built for a room full of different ages. The slapstick lands with the little ones, the dame's costume changes land with the adults, and the songs give everyone something to hum on the way home. Nobody has to pretend to enjoy it.

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That is also why I'm cautious about it. A bad panto is a long two hours, and I've sat through one before where the only thing keeping me awake was the person behind me kicking my seat. This one has a proper cast with TV credits and a venue that has been doing Christmas shows for years, which is a decent starting point. I'll tell you honestly in the review whether it lived up to it.

Dick Whittington Gladstone Theatre: dates and booking

The show runs at the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight from 5 to 31 December 2026, which means the press night is right at the start of the run and there are more than three weeks of performances after it. That gives you plenty of choice if you want a matinee with younger kids or an evening closer to Christmas.

Ticket prices, performance times and any accessible or relaxed performances will be listed on the theatre's own site at www.gladstonetheatre.org.uk. I don't have a confirmed price for this year's run, so check the listings before you budget for a family of four.