PACE presents ‘Sleeping Beauty’ for Panto 2026 at Paisley Arts Centre
This Christmas, PACE Theatre Company is delighted to be returning to the Paisley Arts Centre with its annual pantomime, a new version of Sleeping Beauty by Andy McGregor. A seasonal treat for adults and children alike, Sleeping Beauty will run from Wed 25 Nov 26 – Tue 5 Jan 2027.
Follow the story of Princess Annie, who finds herself taking a twenty-year nap thanks to a cursed spindle and an evil fairy. To wake the sleeping beauty, her adoptive mum, a bumbling wannabe-magician, and a rugged archaeologist must embark on a wonderfully chaotic quest.
The ensemble cast will be headed up by dynamic comedy duo CHRIS ALEXANDER and ALAN ORR, who have a well-deserved reputation with Paisley audiences. Chris Alexander (Battery Park, Sleeping Warrior Theatre; Smile, Dundee Rep; Martha and White, Catherine Wheels) has been donning high heels as dame since his first appearance with PACE in 2017, and Alan Orr (Cathy, Traverse Theatre; Hen Night Horror, Scottish tour; A New Life and Opening Time, Oran Mor; The Dolls Abroad and The Dolls Dragged Up, Scottish tour) has turned in comic performances both in Paisley and Dunfermline pantos making him a firm favourite with audiences.
Also appearing in this year’s professional cast is NINA GRAY as Sleeping Beauty. Nina has previously appeared in the title role of PACE’s Cinderella in 2022 and last year, as Gerda in The Snow Queen at Perth Theatre. Other credits include Grantchester, Kudos Limited; A True Mismatch, Amazon Prime and Girl, BBC Films, BFI and Screen Scotland. KIRSTY MALONE (Funeral for my Boobs and Melania, Oran Mor; Aladdin, Perth Theatre; The Elves and the Shoemaker, Dundee Rep and Sunshine on Leith (No.1 UK tour) will also join the cast as Malvora, the bad fairy.
PACE is pleased to welcome back ANDY MCGREGOR as writer and director for this year’s production; Andy is a playwright, director and composer who is particularly known for his work for family audiences, as well as recent hit productions To Save the Sea (Sleeping Warrior Theatre Company, Scottish tour autumn 2024), Battery Park (Sleeping Warrior Theatre Company, Scottish tour), Crocodile Rock (Edinburgh Fringe 2026 revival, Oran Mor and Scottish tour), A New Life (Oran Mor and tour) and Spuds (in association with Beacon Arts Centre). He has written PACE’s annual panto since 2019, including Cinderella, Aladdin and last year, Snow White.
Set and costume design is by FRASER LAPPIN, whose designs for PACE include There’s No Room in Our Bathroom for Lewis Capaldi, as well as previous pantos including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella. Fraser’s recent credits include Sunset Boulevard: The Backstage Cut (Perth Theatre and Concert Hall), Annie (FM Theatre, Malta), The Effect (Vienna’s English Theatre), Auntie Empire (Jordan & Skinner), Into the Woods (Perth Theatre), Pinocchio (Cumbernauld Theatre) and Queer and Now (Shaper/Caper).
The cast will be completed by 4 teams of young actors, handpicked from PACE’s core youth theatre groups, enhancing the production with their boundless energy.
Jenni Mason, Artistic Director said, “It’s a pleasure to announce that this year’s PACE panto will be Sleeping Beauty — a festive treat packed with all the fun and excitement audiences have come to expect from the PACE panto!
“This Christmas, we’re inviting families and friends to come together and enjoy a fantastic live entertainment experience, with a colourful cast of characters, plenty of laughs, toe-tapping original music and lots of opportunities to join in. From the youngest members of the audience to the young at heart, there’ll be something for everyone to enjoy, whilst creating special Christmas memories that audiences can share together.”
With a reputation for producing some of the best family pantomimes in Scotland, regularly playing to audiences of more than 10,000 during the festive season, PACE’s trademark panto spirit promises a festive experience not to be missed.
