Jack and the Beanstalk: Mayflower's most attended panto ever

Some 72,000 people went to the theatre on Commercial Road to see Jack and the Beanstalk, which starred Ashley Banjo and dance group Diversity.

It is the highest attended pantomime, for the length of run, at Mayflower Theatre in over 20 years, surpassing 2023’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Across the city’s Mayflower venues – the theatre and Mayflower Studios – over 100,000 people came to see  English National Ballet’s Nutcracker, Elf the Musical, A Very Hungry Christmas Caterpillar, Jack and the Beanstalk and The Wind in The Willows across both venues.

READ MORE: 'Giant festive hit': what we thought of Southampton panto Jack and the Beanstalk

Mayflower Studios hosted five sold out performances of The Wind in The Willows, which provided opportunities for local young talent and featured over 50 young people in the show.

Michael Ockwell, Chief Executive at Mayflower, said, “I am delighted that we have achieved record breaking attendances across our venues once again this festive period across our bumper offering including dance, musicals, a children’s Christmas show, our Christmas Youth Project and, of course, the biggest pantomime on the South Coast!

Ashley Banjo and Diversity starred in the pantomime. (Image: Mayflower Theatre) “It is important to us that we offer inspiring experiences for all ages and having higher attendance figures than ever means that more people got to experience the magic of live theatre.

“We know that Christmas is an important time where many people have their first experience of live theatre and I am delighted that once again so many of our local community have been able to attend one of our venues.”

READ MORE: Our review of Fareham Live's first ever pantomime Cinderella

Jack and the Beanstalk was Ashley Banjo and Diversity’s second Mayflower panto, after starring in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 2023.

Next Christmas, Mayflower Theatre’s pantomime will be Peter Pan, though star casting is yet to be announced.

Mayflower Studios will see the return of the youth production A Christmas Carol.

A show catered to under-fives, Counting Down To Christmas, will also be on show.