We can’t go without our panto!

Panto season is less than a month away and as always, Cork audiences will be spoiled for choice again this Christmas.

This year, The Everyman will bring the classic tale of Cinderella (Cinders) to life with a modern Cork twist. Set right here in the kingdom of Leeside, poor old Cinders is a little out of sorts, reluctant to be swept away by the fairy-tale life lived by the townsfolk around her. She is quite the woman of 2022 you see, an entrepreneur with big ambitions and no time for messing.

Meanwhile, Prince William (aka Liam) is the heir to the throne of the Corkonians but alas this dashing prince is totally into his music. Confident, fun and rebellious, he dreams of a life on tour rather than the throne. But as fate would have it, a chance encounter between the two at the farmer’s market sparks something neither of them was expecting.

However, Cinders is stuck living with her stepmother and 2 stepsisters, Kim and Kourtney, and all they are interested in is flick left and hold, pose! Look cute and pose! Giggle and pose! What a nightmare for poor Cinders. Her only true friend in the house is the butler, Buttons – they are BFFs.

With the announcement of the Cork Royal Ball, stepmother and stepsisters make a wicked plan to stop Cinders attending. All looks lost until Cinderella meets her Fairy Godmother, who can fix anything with a bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!

‘Cinderella’ runs at The Everyman from 3 December - 15 January. Tickets are available at everymancork.com or at 021-4501673.

Over at the Cork Opera House, Nanny Nellie and friends will go head to head with the evil Maleficent for this year’s panto classic ‘Sleeping Beauty’.

Unlike poor Sleeping Beauty cursed to sleep for a 100 years, audience members will be kept wide-awake and entranced as this magical tale unfolds before their eyes in yet another spectacular and elaborate pantomime packed with amazing colour, fantastic costumes, live music, breath-taking dance and tonnes of belly laughs.

‘Sleeping Beauty’ runs from 1 December to 22 January.

Tickets are on sale now at corkoperahouse.com.

Also on at the Cork Opera House is The Improv Panto 2022, an offering aimed more towards the grownups, it’s fair to say.

Boasting a brand new show every night, The Improv Panto is strictly over 18s and relies on outrageous suggestions from the audience, a bottomless supply of costumes, and lightening quick Corkonian wit to get everyone safely through the night.

The Improv Panto dates are 9, 10, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23 December.

Shows start at 10.30pm and tickets are available from corkoperahouse.com.