The Little Mermaid dives into Leadgate this Christmas following the huge success of last year’s Snow White.
Following the phenomenal success of its inaugural Christmas pantomime, The Roxy Theatre, Leadgate, is preparing to dive under the sea this December with a spectacular new production of The Little Mermaid – and an extended run following huge public demand.
Last Christmas marked a major milestone for the historic Roxy Theatre as its beautifully restored 360-seat auditorium officially opened its doors. Thousands of audience members flocked to Leadgate to see Snow White, with the production attracting an incredible response from audiences throughout its run.
Now, the team behind last year’s success is back.
Reece Sibbald Productions Ltd will once again partner with The Roxy Theatre to transform the venue for Christmas, with The Little Mermaid running from 12th-28th December 2026.
Following the demand for tickets last Christmas, this year’s pantomime will enjoy an extended run, giving even more families the opportunity to experience Christmas at The Roxy.
Returning to Leadgate is Rebecca Lightburn, who wowed audiences in the title role of Snow White last Christmas. This year she’ll be swapping the famous red apple for a mermaid tail as she takes on the role of Ariel.
Also returning are North East pantomime favourites Reece Sibbald & Cal Halbert, who this year head beneath the waves as the hilariously hopeless Fin the Floundering Fish and Crabsticks.
Audiences may also recognise Cal from his numerous television appearances, including This Morning, Good Morning Britain, Britain’s Got Talent and The Gadget Show.
Joining the returning stars is Lanchester’s own Amy George, who takes on the deliciously devious role of Ursula, the Sea Witch. Having spent the past two Christmas seasons performing pantomime aboard cruise ships, Amy is swapping life on the sea for life under it this December.
Meanwhile, Pride Radio’s Ben Lloyd will rule the underwater kingdom as King Triton. A sensational triple-threat performer, Ben will bring his powerhouse vocals, dancing and stage presence to the Roxy stage.
A BRAND-NEW WORLD BENEATH THE WAVES
Audiences can expect an entirely new production for 2026, featuring beautifully designed scenery, vibrant digital elements, glittering costumes, toe-tapping tunes, sensational dancing and all the traditional comedy and audience participation of a great British pantomime.
The combination of theatrical scenery with colourful digital elements has been designed to create a production which feels fresh, vibrant and exciting, transporting audiences from the Roxy auditorium into a magical world beneath the waves.
Once again, the production is written and directed by pantomime stalwart Reece Sibbald, who has an incredible 37 professional pantomime appearances under his belt, including productions at Newcastle Theatre Royal, Darlington Hippodrome and the Playhouse Whitley Bay.
Reece Sibbald, writer, director and producer, said:
“Last year came with a huge amount of pressure for us as a company. We were producing the pantomime that would mark the grand opening of the beautifully restored Roxy Theatre, and the team behind the venue had spent years refining every detail.
“The audience is already wowed before the curtain even goes up. You walk into that incredible 360-seat auditorium and it feels special, so as a producer your job becomes even harder because you then have to match that sense of occasion on stage.
“The reaction to Snow White was more than we could ever have hoped for. The feedback was sensational and the demand has given us the opportunity to extend the run this Christmas.
“But we knew The Little Mermaid wanted to go bigger, create an entirely new world and give audiences plenty of surprises. So, the scenery is beautiful, the costumes are going to glitter and we’re bringing vibrant digital elements into the production which allow us to do some really exciting new things.
“I don’t want to give too much away just yet, but I genuinely think this is the most exciting production we’ve ever created. Anyone who joined us last year will recognise everything they loved about the Roxy panto, but expect the unexpected and you won’t be disappointed.”
David Barnes, Manager of The Roxy Theatre, Leadgate, said:
“Last Christmas was incredibly special for everyone involved with The Roxy. After so much work had gone into restoring and reopening the theatre, to see thousands of people coming through the doors, many experiencing the venue for the very first time, was something we’ll never forget.
“The response to Snow White was fantastic, and it quickly became clear that audiences wanted even more, which is why we’re delighted to be extending the pantomime run this year.
“We’re really excited to be working with Reece Sibbald Productions again to bring The Little Mermaid to Leadgate. There’s a real ambition to build on everything we achieved last Christmas, while creating something completely new for audiences to enjoy.
“The Roxy was brought back to life to be a theatre for this community, so it’s particularly special to see local children sharing the stage with a professional cast. We can’t wait to welcome families back through the doors and show them what we’ve got in store.”
24 LOCAL YOUNG PERFORMERS JOIN THE PROFESSIONAL CAST
That commitment to the local community will once again extend onto the Roxy stage, with 24 young performers from the area selected to appear alongside this year’s professional company.
The children have been divided into three teams of eight, who will alternate performances throughout the run.
It follows the huge success of last year’s Search for Snow White’s Mini Miners, which gave local youngsters the opportunity to make their pantomime debut as part of the Roxy’s opening production.
For one of those young performers, that opportunity proved to be the beginning of something remarkable: one of last year’s Mini Miners has since been cast in the upcoming UK Tour and West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical.
Reece added:
“Having local children as part of the company was one of the loveliest parts of last year’s production. They brought so much energy to the show and the audiences absolutely loved them.
“To now see one of our Mini Miners go from performing with us in Leadgate to being cast in a major professional production of Billy Elliot is incredibly special. It shows young people from our area what can be possible.
“This year we’ve cast 24 brilliant children across three teams and we’re really excited for them to have the opportunity to work and perform alongside our professional company.”
With an extended run, returning audience favourites, exciting new cast members, 24 local young performers and a completely new production created especially for the Roxy stage, The Little Mermaid is set to build on the success of the theatre’s spectacular first Christmas.
Expect glitter, laughter, huge production numbers, colourful characters, festive magic and plenty of surprises lurking beneath the surface.
THIS CHRISTMAS, LEADGATE IS GOING UNDER THE SEA.
THE LITTLE MERMAID
The Roxy Theatre, Leadgate | 12th-28th December 2026
Tickets and performance information: www.watlingspaces.co.uk
Discover more from InNewcastle.co.uk
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.