The London pantomime not to miss is at the Hackney Empire

Dick Whittington and his Cat at the Hackney Empire is the heartfelt London pantomime you need in your life. It runs until 5 January

With its pretty 18th century period detailing, grand entranceway and impressive 1,275 capacity auditorium, the Hackney Empire theatre is a slice of the West End in east London. Every year they throw their annual Christmas pantomime, and this year’s edition is a creative adaptation of Dick Whittington and his Cat.

It’s masterminded by Clive Rowe, the Olivier Award-winning actor and director, who has spent 17 years running the Hackney Empire pantomime. Every year audiences return just to see what the London pantomime legend has done next, and the evening City AM went a group of Americans including someone working in defence had attended just for Rowe.

He is a sensation to watch playing the role of panto dame Sarah the Cook in this year’s show, with some incredibly creative costumes, including Rowe dressed as a cashier’s desk and a giant pepper mill (with a Grindr joke thrown in for good measure!) There’s a casual confidence to his style that speaks of his almost two decades on this stage.

The cast are great fun, including the gender-swapped Kandaka Moore as lead Dick Whittington, tasked with trying to overthrow the population of rats threatening to overrun the town and ruin family businesses. There are some beautiful sets, including immersive scenes at sea on a big ship, where there are some wonderfully creative ways of staging fish under the sea, and some rousing choreographed musical numbers.

You could do the biggest London pantomime at the Palladium, with all the bells and whistles – or you could do the more intimate Hackney Empire show, which attracts loyal audiences year after year and has tonnes of heart. A real east London tradition.

Dick Whittington & his Cat runs until 5 January at the Hackney Empire

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