The Yvonne Arnaud's 2026 panto is Sleeping Beauty, with Lucy Benjamin and Peter Gordon: 58 shows, 5 Dec to 10 Jan, tickets from £15. Every date and time.
Guildford’s pantomime this Christmas is Sleeping Beauty at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, from Saturday 5 December 2026 to Sunday 10 January 2027. It stars Lucy Benjamin and Peter Gordon, tickets start at £15, children under two go free on a lap, and there are 58 performances in the Main House (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Sleeping Beauty).
The quick answer
- What and where: Sleeping Beauty, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Main House, Millbrook, Guildford GU1 3UX.
- When: Saturday 5 December to Sunday 10 January, 58 shows. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve have 1pm and 5pm shows; there is none on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
- Price: from £15, babes in arms free. Box office 01483 44 00 00.
About the show
The theatre describes it as the story of a princess sent into a deep sleep by the wicked fairy’s curse, with her friends left to save the day, and promises “a sprinkle of star dust, a bucket loads of slosh” and plenty of audience participation. It is rated for all ages. The running time is still to be confirmed and will include a 20-minute interval.
Lucy Benjamin and Peter Gordon head the cast. The theatre has not yet named the rest of the company.
Every performance
These are the performances on the theatre’s booking system as of 25 September 2026. Times are the curtain up.
| Date | Performances |
|---|---|
| Sat 5 Dec | 7pm (opening night) |
| Sun 6 Dec | 1pm, 5pm |
| Tue 8 Dec | 1pm, 7pm |
| Wed 9 Dec | 10.30am, 2.30pm |
| Thu 10 Dec | 10.30am (BSL interpreted) |
| Fri 11 Dec | 10.30am, 7pm |
| Sat 12 Dec | 10.30am (relaxed), 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Sun 13 Dec | 1pm, 5pm (relaxed) |
| Tue 15 Dec | 1pm, 5.30pm |
| Wed 16 Dec | 10.30am, 7pm (BSL interpreted) |
| Thu 17 Dec | 10.30am, 7pm |
| Sat 19 Dec | 10.30am, 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Sun 20 Dec | 1pm, 5pm |
| Mon 21 to Wed 23 Dec | 2.30pm, 7pm each day |
| Thu 24 Dec (Christmas Eve) | 1pm, 5pm |
| Sat 26 to Wed 30 Dec | 2.30pm, 7pm each day |
| Thu 31 Dec (New Year's Eve) | 1pm, 5pm |
| Sat 2 Jan | 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Sun 3 Jan | 1pm, 5pm |
| Mon 4 Jan | 2.30pm |
| Thu 7 Jan | 7pm (captioned) |
| Fri 8 Jan | 1pm (dementia friendly), 5pm |
| Sat 9 Jan | 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Sun 10 Jan | 1pm, 5pm (final show) |
No performances on Monday 7 December, Monday 14 December, Friday 18 December, Christmas Day, Friday 1 January, or Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 January.
The school holidays matter here. Surrey schools break up on Friday 18 December and go back on Monday 4 January (our term dates page), so everything from Saturday 19 December to Sunday 3 January falls in the holidays. The 10.30am and 1pm weekday shows in early December fall in term time.
Tickets and prices
- From £15, with prices including all fees.
- Babes in arms (under two) free.
- Concessions and discounts for groups and schools; boxes are bookable only through the box office.
- The panto is not part of the theatre’s Multi-Buy offer.
- Christmas dinner in the theatre’s Riverbank Kitchen before selected performances, two or three courses, starting two hours before curtain up, with a children’s menu.
Accessible performances
- British Sign Language interpreted: Thursday 10 December at 10.30am and Wednesday 16 December at 7pm.
- Relaxed: Saturday 12 December at 10.30am and Sunday 13 December at 5pm.
- Captioned: Thursday 7 January at 7pm.
- Dementia friendly: Friday 8 January at 1pm.
The theatre asks you to book access tickets through the box office.
Getting there
The theatre is on Millbrook, GU1 3UX, the same road as the council’s Millbrook car park (GU1 3XJ). Its charges, and the evening flat rate, are on our parking in Guildford page. If you are coming by train on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, the 5pm shows finish into an early-closing railway: see Guildford Christmas trains. Check the roadworks page for Millbrook and the gyratory before you set off.
More for the season: the Christmas markets, the Christmas lights fun day and Illuminate at the castle.
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