A wonderfully wicked panto comes to Sunderland Empire for Christmas 2025!

Simon will have tickets to give away at Breakfast from 17th-21st November - keep listening to find out how you can get your chance to win, or keep reading to find out more.

Book your tickets here!

BBC’s Call the Midwife star Laura Main is set to sprinkle some festive magic to this year’s pantomime spectacular, Sleeping Beauty, as the spellbinding Fairy Snowfall. Best known for her long-running role as Shelagh Turner in BBC’s Call the Midwife, Laura has also starred in The Mill, Murder City, Father Brown, as well as performing right here at Sunderland Empire in 2018 as Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical.

Laura will be joined by Channel 5 Milkshake! presenter, David Ribi, who will be the dashing Prince Vincent. David is no stranger to musical theatre either. You may have seen him on stage in the 2016 UK Tour of Mamma Mia as Sky/Ensemble, Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show 2014/15 European Tour, or playing Sketch/Link in the Hairspray 2014 UK Tour, with many more stage credits to his name.

Joining them as the delightfully wicked villain, Carabosse, is West End Star Jordan Lee Davies, who is currently touring the UK as Mary Sunshine in Chicago, and has previously starred in The Book of Mormon, Bat Out Of Hell, and more!

Musical theatre star Evelyn Hoskin is the beautiful and cursed Princess Rose. Evelyn has previously visited Sunderland Empire in the role of Dawn in the UK Tour of Waitress. She is also no stranger to pantomime, with lead roles including Wendy in Peter Pan (Milton Keynes), Cinderella in Cinderella (Sheffield Lyceum) and Jill in Jack & the Beanstalk (Catford Broadway).

Laura, David, Jordan and Evelyn join Wearside panto favourites, the fabulous Miss Rory (Boulevard) as Rorina the Cleaner and hilarious funny man Tom Whalley as the side-splitting Vesta the Jester in the North East’s canniest panto!

A beautiful Princess is cursed by the evil Carabosse on the eve of her 18th birthday party and can only be awoken by true love's kiss. Can the Good Fairy’s magical spell break the curse? Will she find her true love and live happily ever after?

Don’t get caught napping – book now and join us for another enchanting adventure for all the family.