Alice in Pantoland Tonbridge: 80 Young Performers in January

Eighty young performers aged 4 to 18 will put on Alice in Pantoland, a new pantomime by The Talentz, at the EM Forster Theatre in Tonbridge from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 January 2027. There are six performances, a live band, and a script written for this cast.

Overview

• What: Alice in Pantoland, a youth pantomime by The Talentz, with every part played by young performers.
• Where: EM Forster Theatre, Tonbridge.
• When: Thursday 7 January at 7pm, Friday 8 January at 7pm, Saturday 9 January in the afternoon and at 7pm, Sunday 10 January at 12pm and 4pm.
• Tickets: £18, £15 for under-16s and over-65s, £13 each for groups of 10 or more, from the theatre’s box office.
• Running time: about two and a half hours, the box office says.

Down the rabbit hole

The story follows Alice down a rabbit hole into Pantoland, which The Talentz describes as “a vibrant world of talking cats, mad tea parties and mischievous mayhem”. The Queen of Hearts “is determined to drain the joy, laughter and panto spirit from the land”, and Alice has to “find the courage to embrace the chaos and help restore the magic before it is too late”.

On the way she meets the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Dormouse and “the charming Jack”.

The script is by Charlie Bench, the live band is led by Sarah K Quinn and the musical numbers are choreographed by Megan Jennings.

Two casts, Hearts and Roses

With 80 young people involved, the show is split between two casts, according to the theatre’s booking page. The Hearts cast plays Thursday at 7pm, Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 12pm. The Roses cast plays Friday at 7pm, the Saturday afternoon show and Sunday at 4pm.

The Talentz gives the Saturday matinee as 4pm; the theatre’s booking page lists it at 2pm. Check the time on your ticket before setting off.

Parts written for the cast

The script was written with the young performers in mind, so each of them has room to build a character and work as part of an ensemble, the company says. Young people can also work behind the scenes, on costumes, props, backstage and stage management.

Debbie King, Founder and Director of The Talentz, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring Alice in Pantoland to the stage. What makes our pantomimes so special is that every part of the production is an opportunity for young people to learn, grow and discover what they are capable of, both on stage and behind the scenes.

“This year’s production has been written specifically with our cast in mind, and we’ve created a world that gives our young performers plenty of opportunities to have fun, take risks and really make their characters their own. It is also wonderful to be able to give audiences a proper, large-scale pantomime experience, complete with live music, spectacular numbers and all the chaos you’d expect from a panto!

“We’re very proud of the young people involved, and we can’t wait to welcome audiences to Pantoland this January.”

From Edinburgh to Tonbridge

The company took Shrek Jr to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer, with 28 young performers in six performances. It says the run sold out and received a five-star review.

This year The Talentz was named Best Children’s Business in Kent by Muddy Stilettos and Best Youth Musical Theatre School 2026 at the SME Business Elite Awards.

It is based in Tunbridge Wells and runs classes in Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells, covering musical theatre, drama, dance and LAMDA training.

Group tickets for youth groups and care homes

The Talentz is offering special ticket rates to organised groups, naming scout and guide groups, care homes, other theatre groups and youth organisations. “We are very passionate about making theatre accessible to as many people as possible and encouraging more young people to experience live theatre,” the company said. Groups can email David@thetalentz.com.

Before Alice, the EM Forster Theatre’s Christmas show is Cinderella; dates and seats are in our Tonbridge pantomime guide.