The Towngate Theatre's 2026-27 panto is Aladdin, from £16, running 26 November to 3 January. Every public performance date, plus the BSL and relaxed shows.
Basildon’s pantomime for 2026-27 is Aladdin at the Towngate Theatre, St Martin’s Square SS14 1DL, running from Thursday 26 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Tickets start at £16, it is recommended for ages 3 and up, and the running time is about 2 hours 20 minutes, all of which the theatre publishes on its Aladdin page.
Sophie Ladds and Ian Hallard return as Abanazar and Widow Twankey. The script is by Paul Hendy, co-produced by Evolution Productions and the Towngate, the team behind Jack and the Beanstalk in 2024-25 and Sleeping Beauty in 2025-26.
Every public performance
These are the dates and times listed on the theatre’s own booking calendar as at 4 September 2026.
| Date | Times |
|---|---|
| Thu 26 Nov | 7pm |
| Fri 27 Nov | 7pm |
| Sat 28 Nov | 1pm, 5pm |
| Sun 29 Nov | 12pm, 4pm |
| Fri 4 Dec | 7pm |
| Sat 5 Dec | 3pm, 7pm |
| Sun 6 Dec | 12pm, 4pm |
| Fri 11 Dec | 6pm |
| Sat 12 Dec | 11am, 3pm, 7pm |
| Sun 13 Dec | 12pm, 4pm |
| Fri 18 Dec | 6pm (BSL interpreted) |
| Sat 19 Dec | 11am, 3pm, 7pm |
| Sun 20 Dec | 12pm, 4pm |
| Mon 21 Dec | 1pm, 5pm |
| Tue 22 Dec | 1pm, 5pm |
| Wed 23 Dec | 1pm, 5pm |
| Thu 24 Dec | 11am, 3pm |
| Sat 26 Dec | 12pm, 4pm |
| Sun 27 Dec | 12pm, 4pm |
| Mon 28 Dec | 1pm, 5pm |
| Tue 29 Dec | 11am, 3pm, 7pm |
| Wed 30 Dec | 1pm, 5pm |
| Thu 31 Dec | 11am, 3pm |
| Sat 2 Jan | 3pm, 7pm |
| Sun 3 Jan | 12pm, 4pm |
Two gaps are worth knowing before you plan. There is no performance on Christmas Day and none on New Year’s Day, and the last one before Christmas is the 3pm on Christmas Eve. And after the Thursday opening night, the theatre only sells Friday to Sunday to the public for the first three weeks, so if you want a weekday show you are looking at the run between 21 December and 31 December.
Accessible performances
The BSL interpreted performance is Friday 18 December at 6pm, bookable online. The theatre says the interpreter, Trish, stands in the right hand corner of the stage and that the best seats for viewing the interpretation are marked on the seating map when you book.
The relaxed performance is Tuesday 15 December at 5pm. Note two things about it. First, the theatre has flagged that this date changed after the season brochure was printed, so a brochure in your kitchen drawer may be wrong. Second, it does not appear in the online calendar above, because it cannot be booked online: you have to call the box office on 01268 205 300. Carers and companions assisting someone who needs the relaxed performance get a free ticket to it.
The relaxed show keeps house lights at around 50 per cent, cuts theatre announcements to a minimum and edits many of the bumps and jumps in the score.
Prices and discounts
Tickets start at £16. The theatre applies family discounts automatically when you book online, and the group rate is buy 10, get one free, also applied automatically up to 100 tickets online. Above that, or for school bookings, the box office handles it on 01268 205 300 or towngateboxoffice@basildon.gov.uk.
One rule catches people out every year: a ticket must be bought for every child attending, regardless of age, including babies in arms. The theatre also says it does not recommend bringing children under 3.
Getting there
The Towngate is in St Martin’s Square, in the middle of Basildon town centre, a short walk from the bus station and about ten minutes from Basildon railway station. Basildon Council does not run a car park in the town centre itself, so the nearby ones are privately managed and priced separately; our parking in Basildon page explains which is which. For matinees on shopping Saturdays, allow extra time and check the roadworks and travel page.
The panto cast has also appeared at the council’s town centre Christmas launch in past years, which is covered on our Christmas lights switch-on page.
Sources
- Towngate Theatre, Aladdin, run dates, performance calendar, prices, access performances and booking rules, checked 4 September 2026
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