Joseph Vella to lead Dick Whittington panto at King’s Head Theatre
By Grace Hatchell
Joseph Vella will star in Dick Whittington and His Cat at King’s Head Theatre in Islington, London, alongside RuPaul’s Drag Race UK favourites Victoria Scone and River Medway. The family Christmas pantomime runs from 22 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with a separate 18+ production, Dick Whittington: Adults Only, running from 26 November 2026 to 2 January 2027. Tickets are on sale now, with prices from £15.
Well, love, when the cat’s called Dragpuss and there’s somebody on the cast list called Elvis Pawsley, you know exactly what sort of Christmas you’re in for. And there’s a homecoming tucked in among the daft names. Joseph Vella grew up in Islington and is heading back to the borough to play Dick, having toured the UK with Mamma Mia! and appeared in Becoming Nancy at Birmingham Rep.
Patricia Wilkins, whose West End credits include Back to the Future and Dirty Dancing, plays Alice Fitzgerald. Sé Carr, who performs as drag king Jamie Fuxx and founded the drag king cabaret Magic Dyke, takes on Ding-Dong and the magnificently named Elvis Pawsley. Ash Weir plays Anne Semble and understudies. If you’re wondering where you know Ash from, she originated Anne Boleyn in the student cast of SIX and picked up an Offie nomination for But I’m a Cheerleader.
Victoria Scone is back at the King’s Head as Dragpuss after playing Dame Trott in last year’s Jack and the Beanstalk. River Medway makes her debut at the theatre as Queen Rat. I’d get your booing voice warmed up for that one, though I suspect Queen Rat might rather enjoy the attention.
Two pantos, depending on who’s coming
Andrew Pollard, who won Best Writer at the 2026 UK Pantomime Awards, writes and directs both versions. The family show is suitable for all ages. The adults-only run gives the same London tale a cheekier turn, and after the theatre added more grown-up performances last year to meet demand, it’s easy to see why they’ve brought it back.
Pollard said:
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the company we’ve brought together for Dick Whittington and His Cat this year. Joseph, Patricia, Sé and Ash are all brilliant performers with such a fantastic range of skills, and they join Victoria and River to make a cast that feels perfectly suited to the joyful, mischievous and gloriously theatrical spirit of the King’s Head panto.
“Dick Whittington is such a great London story, and I can’t wait to get this company into the room and start bringing our version of it to life for audiences of all ages — and, of course, for the rather less well-behaved audiences coming to Adults Only.”
Making room for more families at the panto
Here’s a bit of Christmas news I’m especially glad to pass on. The theatre’s Golden Bells Pay It Forward scheme is back, raising money for free tickets for local children and families who might otherwise miss out. The King’s Head is also continuing its partnership with the Mayor of Islington’s 11 by 11 scheme, which aims to give every child at least eleven free cultural experiences by the age of eleven. Over the past two years, more than 2,250 schoolchildren have been to the theatre for free.
Both versions will have Pay What You Can performances, with tickets from £15 available throughout the runs. If this is somebody’s very first panto, I hope they go home still shouting about the rat.
Dates and tickets
King’s Head Theatre is at 116P Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 1QP. Both shows are expected to run for around two hours, with timings to be confirmed.
