By Grace Hatchell, 2nd Act Couriers
I don’t usually interfere with fairy tales while I’m on my delivery rounds… but sometimes a girl turns up with a brown leather satchel, a stamped envelope, and a suspicious little bag of magic beans. And before you know it, you’re part of the story.
Yes, it’s that time already. Tickets are now on sale for Hackney Empire’s 2026 pantomime, and this year Jack and the Beanstalk will be climbing its way onto the stage from Saturday 21 November to Thursday 31 December 2026. I can neither confirm nor deny that I may be popping up as the post lady who delivers the beans. Once they’re signed for, love, they’re officially the property of the recipient.
Returning to Hackney Empire is genuine panto royalty Clive Rowe, back where he belongs for the festive season. Jack and the Beanstalk promises all the ingredients audiences have come to expect from a Hackney Empire pantomime: enormous laughs, toe-tapping songs, dazzling dance numbers, extravagant costumes and plenty of opportunities to shout helpful advice at the stage. Loudly. Repeatedly. With feeling.
The story follows Jack, a cheerful optimist who sells his family’s beloved cow in exchange for a handful of beans (again, not naming names). Those beans set off a chain of events that sends Jack climbing skywards into an enchanted land filled with surprises, danger and one particularly large problem with a temper. The question is whether Jack can outsmart the giant and save the day — and whether I remembered to get proof of delivery.
Clive Rowe both directs and stars in the production, bringing his trademark warmth, energy and comic brilliance to the tale. Speaking about his return, he shared his delight at being back, describing how it had been bean too long and how his excitement is already racing beyond the clouds as preparations begin for Jack and the Beanstalk at Hackney Empire in 2026. Frankly, I’ve seen less enthusiasm for Christmas pudding.
Hackney Empire CEO Chris Sudworth also expressed his excitement at welcoming Clive back on stage during the venue’s 125th anniversary year, noting that it wouldn’t feel right without him. With this being Sudworth’s first pantomime as Chief Executive, the festive season is shaping up to be something rather special, with more plans to be revealed later in the spring.
Further casting and creative team announcements will follow, but there’s plenty already to get excited about. Tickets go on sale today to Friends and Supporters of Hackney Empire, with general sale opening on Friday 30 January.
And while I was there, doing a quick sweep of the noticeboard and pretending not to eavesdrop, I spotted that four additional live events for 2026 are also going on sale on 30 January. These include London City Voices: Reel to Reel – Songs on Screen on Saturday 18 April, Jocelyn Brown with special guest Rozalla on Friday 24 April, World Comedy Clash on Saturday 25 April, and Nish Kumar: Angry Humour From a Really Nice Guy on Friday 18 September.
Alongside these newly announced shows, tickets are also available for a rich and varied programme across comedy, music, dance and theatre throughout 2026. Highlights include BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Comedy Gala hosted by Eddie Kadi, Alter Ego 2026 showcasing East London’s next generation of artists, City of London Sinfonia’s The Exoplanets hosted by Robin Ince, Pilot Theatre and Northern Stage’s adaptation of Noughts and Crosses, and Ballet Black at 25, celebrating a quarter-century of groundbreaking choreography.
So whether you’re heading up the beanstalk this Christmas, popping in for a night of comedy, or just keeping an eye on what’s coming through Hackney Empire’s doors next year, keep an ear out for the jangle of a satchel. If there are beans inside, you didn’t get them from me.
Jack and the Beanstalk | Hackney Empire
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