Best Family Christmas Shows and Pantomimes, Christmas 2016

Peter Pan, National Theatre

'All children, except one, grow up', but even grown ups will enjoy the magical world of Neverland as J.M Barrie's Peter Pan flies to the National Theatre this winter after an impressive premiere at the Bristol Old Vic

The Little Matchgirl, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

At once, beautiful and devastatingly sad, The Little Matchgirl at the glittering Sam Wanamaker, tells the story of a destitute child who struggles to survive a bitter winter night.

Oh no you didn't! Cinderella Pantomime at the London Palladium promises to be a Christmas cracker

The Great British pantomime tradition, complete with outrageous costumes, gaudy comedy and the dreaded demand of audience participation, will be at its biggest and best in the production of Cinderella at the London Palladium.

Opening this December and starring Amanda Holden, Paul O'Grady, Julian Clary and Lee Mead, this is not to be missed.

Nutcracker: English National Ballet, London Coliseum

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without an English National Ballet Nutcracker, and so it is that director Wayne Eagling's idiosyncratic version of the ballet (minus the definite article) will once again take over the Coliseum for the duration of the festive season

Peter Pan Goes Wrong: on BBC1 and in the Apollo Theatre, Christmas 2016

Peter Pan must fly, Captain Hook must swim across the lagoon and Tinkerbell has to light up the stage in her luminous costume. What could possibly go wrong?

From the creators of the eye-wateringly funny The Play that Goes Wrong, this maybe the silliest show in town

Christmas Spectacular, Royal Albert Hall

Step into the historic Royal Albert Hall for a night filled with music, dance, singing and all round Christmas cheer

Scrooge and the Seven Dwarves, Theatre503

This year's classic Christmas story mash-up combines Charles Dicken's protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge and the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Expect laugh-out-loud silliness courtesy of physical and bare-knuckled comedy, singing, dancing an fighting through ninety minutes of Christmas pantomime this winter

School of Rock the Musical, New London Theatre

With a little help from musical theatre maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber, School of Rock is coming from screen to stage and rocking its way onto London's West End. So, in the words of Wizzard (and Jack Black) 'Are you ready to rock?!'

Kiki's Delivery Service, Southwark Playhouse

Adapted from the bestselling and award-winning book by Japanese author Eiko Kadono, Kiki's Delivery Service is the story of a 13-year-old witch who leaves her family to start new, magical life growing up and finding acceptable alone

Aladdin, Lyric Hammersmith

Get your best 'he's behind you' and 'oh, no he didn't's ready, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a man in drag and a cast of brightly coloured characters encouraging the audience to shout at them courtesy of the Aladdin pantomime at the Lyric Hammersmith

All The Angels, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

This is the story that Nick Drake’s critically acclaimed comedic play All the Angels – Handel and the First Messiah tells, tracing the journey of this classic choral work from unassuming tavern to world fame. It returns to the Globe after a sell-out season last winter.

Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker, Royal Opera House

A classic firmly embedded in the festive season’s imagination, and surely one of the finest Christmas ballet tickets London can offer, the Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker to Tchaikovksy’s twinkling score is a sumptuous affair

Half a Sixpence, Noël Coward Theatre

With a creative team including Downton Abbey pioneer Julian Fellowes and Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of such hits as Mary Poppins, Cats, and Oliver!, this all-new version of Half a Sixpence has all the ingredients for success.

Million Dollar Quartet, Southbank Centre

This December, watch Elvis, Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins come together for a once-in-a-lifetime Christmas musical inspired by the recording session which brought them all together