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There are some traditions that quietly settle into your family life and, before you realise it, become the thing that means “Christmas has started.” For us, since moving to Derbyshire, that’s been the Sheffield Lyceum Pantomime.
Watch our video of our evening at Sheffield Lyceum Aladdin
Before we discovered the Lyceum, I’d never really fallen in love with pantomime. We’d tried a few locally over the years and, although they had lovely moments, they just didn’t quite capture that magic I was hoping for. And as someone who loves the theatre, I always came away thinking we’d missed out on the sparkle everyone else spoke about.
Then a few years ago, we were invited to the Sheffield Lyceum Panto — and that was it. Everything changed.
From that very first visit, something clicked. The atmosphere. The quality. The humour. The warmth. It wasn’t just “going to the panto” — it felt like stepping into a proper Christmas celebration. And now? We don’t feel like the festive season has truly started until we’ve been.
It’s become our family’s Christmas tradition — one we absolutely treasure.
🎭 This Year’s Show: Aladdin — And It Was Simply Incredible
This year’s pantomime was Aladdin, and it was the best one yet — and that’s saying something, because every single year we leave thinking, “There is no way they can top that…” and yet, somehow, they always do.
From the moment the curtain lifted, the energy was electric. The jokes had both the kids and adults laughing out loud. The music and singing were honestly West End-worthy. The choreography was slick and full of life. And the storytelling had that perfect blend of silly, heartfelt, magical and joyful.
It didn’t feel like “just a panto”.
It felt like proper, high-quality comedy theatre — wrapped up in glitter, Christmas sparkle and pure joy.
💖 The Cast: Full Of Heart, Fun & Talent
At the centre of the magic is the legendary Pantomime Dame — Damien Williams — who is now celebrating around his 1,000th panto performance. That in itself is incredible. Damien has become such an important part of the Lyceum tradition — full of warmth, cheekiness and brilliant comic timing. He completely owns the stage and you can feel how much the audience love him.
But what really struck me this year was how strong the entire cast was. Every single performer — and the incredible musicians and backstage crew who we don’t see — brought passion, fun and pride to the show. You could tell they wanted to be there. You could feel how much they cared about creating something special.
It was joyful. Uplifting. Contagious.
And the entire theatre felt it.
👨👩👧👦 What My Kids Thought
This year was extra special for us because it was Eliza’s first time coming along, now that she’s five — and watching her fall in love with the whole thing might be one of my favourite parenting moments to date.
She was completely captivated — laughing, clapping, dancing, and gasping at all the right moments. When it finished, she looked up at me with all the seriousness of a five-year-old and said:
“It’s fun! When can we go again?”
And honestly… I felt exactly the same.
Meanwhile, Kimi — now 12 — has been part of our Lyceum panto tradition for years and still absolutely loves it. His verdict this year?
“Oh my God — it’s even better than last year!”
And that’s what I adore about this show — it really does grow with your children.
🎄 Why This Night Means So Much To Us
Christmas, as we all know, can come with a lot of financial pressure. There are presents, events, days out… it can all add up. So when I say this, I say it as a mum who thinks carefully about what really matters:
If you have room in your Christmas budget for one truly special family outing…
make it this one.
Because it isn’t just a night at the theatre.
It’s that moment you glance at your kids’ faces and think,
“This is what they’ll remember along with you.”
🎟 A Little Tip — Book Early!
The Sheffield Lyceum Panto is incredibly popular — so as soon as next year’s tickets go on sale, I’d grab them. It’s become one of those “if you know, you know” Christmas traditions for families — and I promise, once you’ve been, it’s very hard not to return year after year.
Because for us?
Christmas doesn’t really begin until we’re sat in that beautiful theatre, lights dimming, ready for the magic to start ✨
And I honestly couldn’t recommend it more.