A note from Aladdin director Mark Hooper
As rehearsals are well underway for Aladdin, we’ve sat down with director Mark Hooper to hear what audiences can expect from this year’s South Hill Park pantomime.
We are incredibly proud of our pantomime, not simply because of what you see on stage, but because of the extraordinary community of people who come together to make it happen.
Our pantomime is a true South Hill Park production, created from the ground up, in-house, in partnership with a wonderful network of long-standing creative collaborators, professional performers, local young people and colleagues from across our organisation. It is a celebration of creativity, collaboration and community, and something we are enormously proud to share with you, our audiences.
The journey begins in January, when our producer, writer, director and designer come together to explore ideas, share ambitions and begin shaping the production. What starts as a conversation and a blank page gradually develops into a complete script, a set design, a lighting plan, original music and all the elements that will eventually bring the story to life.
Many of the people involved have been part of the South Hill Park family for years, and their commitment, experience and creativity are central to what makes our pantomime so special.
Our set is designed by Victoria Spearing, who has worked with us for over 25 years. It is constructed here at South Hill Park, both in our scene dock and within the theatre itself. For several weeks in August, the auditorium is transformed into a working construction space. The stalls where you are sitting today become a flat-floor workshop, with scenery being built, painted and assembled long before it is put up on stage.
Our original incidental music is composed by Tim Cumper, whose association with South Hill Park stretches back to the 1970’s! Like so many of our creative partners, Tim brings not only his professional expertise, but also a longstanding personal connection to the venue and the work we create together.
During late spring, we begin the enormous task of reviewing more than 3,000 applications from professional performers hoping to join our pantomime company. After shortlisting, we hold in-person auditions during the summer, carefully bringing together a cast who will not only deliver exceptional performances, but also become part of the wider South Hill Park community.
By the end of October, after nine months of planning, designing, writing, building, and preparation, our company finally comes together to begin rehearsals.
We have just two weeks to bring the production to life in the rehearsal room, followed by three days of technical rehearsals in the theatre and three dress rehearsals before we open our doors to audiences.
It is an extraordinary undertaking, and one that would not be possible without the dedication and collaboration of so many people.
Producing a pantomime involves almost every corner of South Hill Park. From our technical and production teams to marketing, front of house, facilities, finance, learning and administration, colleagues across the organisation all play their part. Every department contributes to the shared ambition of creating something truly special for our community.
At the heart of it all is a wonderful coming together of people – including you. Professional actors travel from across the country to perform alongside talented local young people. Established creatives work with new faces and emerging talent.
That is what makes South Hill Park’s pantomime so special. It is more than a production. It is a collective achievement, built on relationships, friendships, trust, creativity and a genuine sense of belonging.
Aladdin will run at South Hill Park from Friday 27 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
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