Sleeping Beauty at the Oak Theatre, Scarisbrick: dates, cast and how to book

Sleeping Beauty is this year's Christmas panto at the Oak Theatre, the 390-seat theatre in the grounds of Scarisbrick Hall near Ormskirk. It runs from Friday 11 December to Thursday 31 December 2026, with a New Year's Eve performance to finish.

It's an Anton Benson Productions show, the same company behind last year's Jack and the Beanstalk there, and tickets start at £10, which for a panto this close to Wigan is about as cheap as it gets.

The story

Princess Aurora is about to turn eighteen and the castle is getting ready for a party. Prince George the Dragon-Slayer has turned up from a far-off kingdom, Wally is causing chaos, and Dame Dolly is worried, because tonight is the night of Carabosse's curse: Aurora pricks her finger on a spinning wheel and dies. The fairy is on hand to save the day, if only she could remember where she put her wand.

Who's in it

• George Sampson, who won Britain's Got Talent in 2008, plays Prince George the Dragon-Slayer
• Jess Poole is the baddie, Carabosse
• Suzanne Fulton is Princess Aurora
• David Foster is Dame Dolly
• Mary Shanker is Fairy Starlight
• Danny Childs is Wally, and also directs

Dates and the grown-up one

Family performances run from 11 to 31 December, with some daytime schools-only shows on selected dates. There's an adults-only performance on Friday 18 December with the rude jokes left in, so check which one you're booking if you're taking the kids.

Book tickets

Tickets are from £10 at oaktheatreandstudios.co.uk.

Getting there

The Oak Theatre is at Scarisbrick Hall, Southport Road, Scarisbrick, Ormskirk, L40 9RU, on the A570 between Ormskirk and Southport.

We haven't seen this one yet. If we do, we'll report back.