Marlowe Theatre Pantomime Review - and money saving tips!

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Welcome to my review of the Beauty and the Beast Pantomime performance at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury – with money saving tips, as we all know (although it’s fabulous and great fun) it can be really pricey. As usual they yet again delivered an absolutely fantastic show for Christmas 2024 – so if you fancy booking before it ends, or you’re looking ahead for the next festive season, here’s everything that you need to know.

Is the Marlowe Theatre Pantomime any good?

I have to start my review by saying that nowhere does the pantomime as well as The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, Kent. It’s also important to note that this is a completely impartial review – this wasn’t a PR trip, we paid for our Marlowe Theatre Pantomime tickets just as we do every year. It is a pricey evening (or afternoon) out but nothing says Christmas like a trip to the panto and the shows there really are insanely brilliant. Ben Roddy steals the show every year, he makes the most fantastic Dame and it certainly wouldn’t be the same without him. Then each year, they add in some star-studded cast members to take on the other lead characters. (Duncan James from boyband Blue was a favourite of mine from a few years back!)

This year, for us, Richard David-Caine (known from kids’ TV) absolutely shone – he was utterly hilarious and really brought charm and humour to the role of Danton, a parody of the traditional Gaston character from Beauty and the Beast. He was such an asset to the cast, as was Tyler Collins who played Bougie the Candlestick. Leading the cast was Eastenders’ Maisie Smith, who played a more modern version of Belle, singing songs like Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)” beautifully. And, Phil Gallagher (CBeebies’ Mister Maker) returned for another year as Belle’s brother. His energetic slapstick comedy and natural rapport with Ben Roddy had us in absolute hysterics. And, let’s not forget Joseph Hewlett who had an incredible singing voice, despite wearing a mask throughout to portray the character of the beast.

The Marlowe Theatre pantomime team are critically acclaimed to be the best and, as well as delivering on the cast who show up (even after performing so many shows) with absolute enthusiasm, they also have incredible sets and add in special features alongside the traditional slap-stick comedy routines that we all love. This year, they had the Dame (Ben Roddy) flying across the audience by plane which was totally unexpected and really elevated the second half of the performance. And, little touches like paper falling from the ceiling onto the audience make it all the more magical too. Not to mention the previous years with water fights, a hilarious ‘weather machine’ (which saw Ben Roddy absolutely soaked) and a ferocious moving dragon. I think you’d struggle to find a bad review of the Marlowe Theatre pantomime – they just do the panto so well.

How much are the Marlowe Theatre Pantomime ticket prices, and it is worth the money?

Unfortunately, the Marlowe Theatre have gone with an ‘on-demand’ pricing structure now which has definitely made peak times less affordable – ticket prices can reach as high as around £70 per person. However, what that does mean is that the earlier you book (when less people are doing so) the more money you’re likely to save. We left it too late this year, foolishly convincing ourselves that we would skip the panto to save some money, by which time the availability was quite low and the prices were high. So, for the first time, we booked January tickets, which worked well as we treated my Mum and Nan as one of their Christmas gifts, and we saw the show on a Thursday evening at 7pm on the 9th January 2025.

I must say that we are definitely sold on a January panto trip. Firstly, we had brilliant seats (more on that below), with great views, and we paid just £23 per ticket so it was really affordable – at that price a family of four can enjoy the show for less than £100. Secondly, it was less busy than usual (though still busy enough for a great atmosphere and audience participation) which was a lot more pleasant when entering and leaving the theatre. It was easier to use the loo, as the queues were smaller, and my son (who is uncomfortable in crowds) found it a lot more relaxing to be there than in previous years. But, the icing on the cake was definitely having something to look forward to after Christmas.

Christmas comes with so much hype, cost and build-up that come January we’re all feeling a bit miserable and are usually totally skint! Having the pantomime to look forward to definitely washed away any sign of our January blues – we were instead eagerly awaiting January and even the freezing cold temperature outside wasn’t going to ruin our visit. We had a great meal at Prezzo beforehand (which was also really quiet) using our Tesco Clubcard vouchers – so we had an inexpensive meal and theatre evening which we all thoroughly enjoyed. And, for all of those reasons, we’ve definitely been converted to visiting the pantomime in January and will do the same next year. This year tickets run through until January 12th 2025.

How can I get cheap tickets to the Marlowe Theatre Pantomime?

Book in advance: As I mentioned above, ticket prices increase as the dates become more in demand so booking ahead for the following year will likely offer better seat choices for lower prices.
Visit after Christmas: To avoid the price hikes, I’d definitely recommend seeing the pantomime in January to save some money and wash away the after-Christmas blues. If you really want to see the show before Christmas then November tickets will likely be cheaper than peak December dates.
Save with a group booking: If you’re attending with friends or family, consider group discounts and buy your tickets under one booking. The Marlowe Theatre often provides price reductions for groups of 10 or more.
Book off-peak show times: Prices are generally lower for off-peak showtimes, such as weekday matinees. And obviously avoiding the days closest to Christmas, when the children are on their school holidays, will be a good money-saver too.
Friends of The Marlowe: Become a Friend of The Marlowe to enjoy priority booking, discounted tickets, and other perks. Membership starts at £39 per year but can save you significantly if you love the theatre and will attend multiple shows throughout the year.
Marlowe Discovery Tickets: The Marlowe Theatre offers an excellent opportunity for young adults aged 16 to 26 to get tickets to certain performances at a reduced price of £10 per ticket, so it’s worth checking out if you’re lucky enough to be under 26 years old!

How long is the pantomime at the Marlowe Theatre, and which seats are best?

When it comes to seating, the Marlowe Theatre is really well-structured so in all honesty I think you could sit in most areas and enjoy a good view. The higher seats, and side seating areas, will typically be cheaper. We find the sweet spot between a good view and a reasonable ticket price is usually at the edges of the Circle tier – this year we booked the ends of rows C and D, and the photo above shows our view of the stage. You can also borrow booster seats for the children. At the Marlowe Theatre, the pantomime lasts for around 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an interval. It’s a well crafted show, with lots of different scene changes and comedy routines so that even the youngest of audience members will be utterly entertained throughout. Here’s the seating plan:

Can you take food and drink into the Marlowe Theatre?

Fortunately, you are allowed to bring your own non-alcoholic drinks and snacks to the Marlowe Theatre so you don’t need to purchase pricey items at their bar areas. We always take refillable water bottles (though you can get free tap water from the bar areas if need be), any other drinks we fancy and sweets for the kids. You are able to purchase ice-creams for the show, and sweets too, but the prices are inflated. However, there’s a small Sainsburys on Canterbury High Street (just a five minute walk away from the Marlowe Theatre) so if you need some treats that is definitely the place to grab them.

A final word

So, just in case you haven’t cottoned on to just how much I love the Marlowe Theatre pantomime throughout my review 😂, definitely book tickets if you can – just use my money-saving tips and avoid peak dates to make sure it’s an affordable evening out for your family. The prices can be really expensive, but they put on an absolutely fantastic show every year with a great cast, set, musicians and special effects so a trip to the panto really does feel worth it. The writers are so talented – and we are always in stitches from start to finish. Unfortunately, for obvious reasons, I could only photograph the finale so you’ll just have to take my word for it! 😉 Have you been? Let me know what you think in the comments. And, for even more brilliant things to do over the festive season, check out my article: Kent with kids – the 10 best things to do at Christmas!