★★★★★ 'A pantomime bursting with love... Innovative adaptation featuring an uplifting score, entertaining performances and utterly enchanting design.' The Stage
★★★★★ 'Rapunzel is an unqualified success, bursting with fun and energy.' Plays To See
★★★★★ 'Rapunzel is an all-singing, all-dancing total joy throughout.' London Box Office
★★★★★ 'A wonderful, modern, vibrant pantomime that’s shaken things up, added a splash of colour and – most importantly – obviously given both those in the audience and onstage the best time.' Theatre Bubble
★★★★ 'My bid for a characterful London panto.' The Sunday Times
★★★★ 'Brilliant from beginning to end. Up there with the greats.' Rewrite this Story
★★★★ 'Magical' The Londonist
'Michael Bertenshaw is an absolute treat as Witch Maddy... William Fricker's designs are beguilingly beautiful... This Rapunzel does look amazing.' WhatsOnStage
'A show full of fun and originality and the warmth that we expect from this company.' British Theatre Guide
'A heart-warming and successful show... stunning design, enthralling performances, catchy songs and inventive storytelling.' A Younger Theatre
Let your hair down with the feisty Rapunzel and friends in a magical re-imagining of this much-loved tale. Featuring original music, laugh-out-loud comedy and hilarious audience participation, it’s no surprise that Theatre Royal Stratford East’s pantomime is known as one of the best in London (‘Oh yes it is!’). Join the conversation - #RapunzE15
Rapunzel is one of this year's must-see pantos according to The Stage, The Telegraph, WhatsOnStage, and the Evening Standard, with Time Out, praising the 'cracking original songs and the best panto villain around in Michael Bertenshaw'!
Over 25,000 people attended last year’s panto Sinbad the Sailor with The Times calling it ‘My favourite panto of the season’ and The Stage said, ‘A treasure... one of the most entertaining pantos in London’! Book now and experience the magic!
Running time: 2 hours and 10 minutes
Access performances
BSL interpreted: Sat 6 Jan (matinee and evening)
Captioned: Fri 12 Jan at 7pm
Relaxed: Tue 2 Jan at 1.30pm
If you can’t attend a show without the support of a companion or carer, you can get a companion ticket free of charge – click here for details. Please note that the Upper Circle is the top level in our theatre, so we recommend that smaller children (under 5s) sit in the Stalls or Dress Circle. At many performances concessions are available for disabled people, equity members, full time students, 65+, unwaged and children.
Rapunzel - Official Trailer
Rapunzel - Behind the Scenes
Please note that weekday matinee performances during school term-time are often attended by school groups – call our friendly box office team on 020 8534 0310 if you’d like any help choosing your seats for these performances.
If you have young children aged five or below, we recommend you sit in the Stalls or Dress Circle for the best view. If you are bringing a child under 2, then you can pay £1 for a lap seat. Please call the box office (020 8534 0310) to book.
Cast and Creatives
Book and lyrics Trish Cooke
Music and lyrics Robert Hyman
Director Pooja Ghai
Associate Director Shelley Williams
Designer William Fricker
Lighting Designer Matt Daw
Choreographer Wayne Parsons
Musical Director Ian MacGregor
Sound Designers Andrew Johnson and Chris Murray
Special Effects Scott Penrose
Fight Directors Rc-Annie
CAST
Raj Bajaj
Trained at ALRA.
Theatre: Lions & Tigers,The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare’s Globe), East Is East (Northern Stage), Bend It Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre), Treasure Island (National Theatre), Romeo & Juliet (Home), The Arrivals (Terra Nova), The Djinns of Eidgah (Royal Court), Much Ado About Nothing (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Snow Queen (Unicorn Theatre).
TV: Dr. Who, Doctors, The Garden.
Michael Bertenshaw
Trained at RADA.
For Theatre Royal Stratford East: Sinbad the Sailor, Hotel Cerise, Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Jack and The Beanstalk, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Aladdin, The Snow Queen, Martina Cole’s Two Women, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Just Frank, The Public, Wild Justice, Not Fade Away, Revolting Peasants, Fattie.
Theatre: McQueen (West End), The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew, All’s Well That Ends Well, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII (Shakespeare’s Globe), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Leicester Curve), Taking Care of Baby (Hamsptead Theatre), Absolutely Frank, Inglorious Technicolour (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Long Time No See (Talawa), The Rivals, The Relapse, Last Carnival, My Father’s House (Birmingham Rep).
TV: Maxx, The Rebel, The Miniaturist, The Crown, Doctors, Milliband of Brothers, Culshaw and Stephenson Impressions Show, Doctor Who, The Bill, Casualty, Murderland, Criminal Justice, EastEnders, Worst Christmas of My Life, Foyles War, Silent Witness, The Brief, Carla, Murphy’s Law, Messiah III, Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders, Sherlock Holmes, Touch of Frost, Oliver Twist, Summer In The Suburbs, Undercover Heart, Oktober, Seaforth, Kavanagh QC.
Film: Little Things, The Da Vinci Code, Flyboys, Bust, Another Life, Intimate Relations, Giving Tongue and Paper Mask.
Stephen Hoo
Studied Theatre at The Brit School before completing his B.A in Modern & Classical Chinese at SOAS, he then went on to complete the M.A Theatre Lab at RADA.
For Theatre Royal Stratford East: Jamaica Boy, Heading East, Take Away and Cinderella.
Theatre: Running Wild (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Sugar Coated Bullets Of The Bourgeoisie (Arcola/High Tide), N**** On The Lot (Workshop, Royal Court), Heartquake (Royal Court), Wake (Nationale Reisopera), Soho Streets (Soho Theatre), Bodega Lung-fat (Hackney Empire Studio), Kick Off (Riverside Studios).
TV: Vicious (ITV), Excluded (Pilot, BBC), Day of The Kamikaze (Channel 4).
Film: Fit, Kick Off and Seven Dials (Team Angelica Films).
Juliet Okotie
For Theatre Royal Stratford East: Chicken Palace and STEP.
Theatre: The Interrogation of Sandra Bland (Bush Theatre), The Q (VAULT Festival), One Woman's Slide: A Blues (Talawa Theatre Company), The Good People of Schezwan (Barons Court Theatre), Sweet Taboo (Talawa Theatre Company).
TV: Meet the Adebanjos (MTA Productions)
Short Film: Sweet Taboo (Talawa Theatre Company) and Third Sorrow (NFTS)
Gemma Salter
Trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating in 2008 with a BA (hons) in Acting (Laurence Olivier Bursary Award Winner).
For Theatre Royal Stratford East: Come Dancing, Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk and Sinbad the Sailor.
Theatre: Dreamboats and Petticoats (Playhouse Theatre, West End), One Man Two Guvnors (Haymarket Theatre, West End), Made in Dagenham (The Adelphi, West end), Steel Magnolias and Oh! What a lovely War (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch), Taming of the Shrew (New Wimbledon Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Brentwood Theatre), 1888 (Union Theatre), On Our Street (King’s Head Theatre).
TV: Rock and Chips, Call the Midwife, Holby City, Doctors (BBC).
Joanne Sandi
Trained at North London Dance School.
For Theatre Royal Stratford East: Da Boyz, Mad Blud and HOME Theatre.
Theatre: Soul Sister (Hackney Empire, Savoy Theatre, UK Tour)
TV: MTV Base and T4, Back (Channel 4).
Commercials: Boots, Wrigley’s, McDonalds, Swisscom (playing Tina Turner alongside Tina herself)
Film: Mamma Mia!
Gary Wood
For Theatre Royal Stratford East: The House of In Between, The Infidel The Musical.
Theatre: A Pacifist's Guide to the War on Cancer, Our Country's Good and Dara (National Theatre), A Chorus Line (Palladium), Rent (Greenwich Theatre), The King and I (National Tour and Curve, Leicester) and Wicked (Apollo Victoria).
TV: Casualty (BBC)
Film: World War Z (Paramount), Walking On Sunshine (Vertigo Films) and Faster, Higher, Stronger, Straighter.
Julie Yammanee
Theatre: Lazarus- The David Bowie Project (Kings Cross Theatre), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK Tour), Here Lies Love (National Theatre), Avenue Q (Cameron Mackintosh Productions), Gabba Gabba Hey (The Ramones Musical).
TV: The Sleepover Club (ITV).
Film: Streetsmartz (Great Western Entertainment), Angriest Video Store Clerk (ABC Filmgraphics Entertainment) and The Potato House (Independent Feature Film).
Commercials: McDonald’s Breakfast Favourites, Don’t Forget The Lyrics (SKY TV).
Additional Supporting Roles: Makeda Ansah and Jade Benjamin
Gallery
Swipe Left to see more
Videos
Rapunzel - Official Trailer
Rapunzel - Making a Stratford East panto
Rapunzel - Behind the Scenes
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