First Family Entertainment is an entertainment group specialising in pantomime and other family theatre entertainment, announced the formation in January 2005 as a joint venture between the producers David Ian for Live Nation and Howard Panter for the Ambassador Theatre Group. First Family Entertainment is funded and supported by Live Nation and the Ambassador Theatre Group.
Their pantomimes follow the traditional mould, but they claim to use only genuine star performers rather than the more usual B and C list pantomime stalwarts. They have criticised other companies for bringing the pantomime form into disrepute, but there is little evidence to support such an assertion. FFE produced eight of the 250 or so commercially produced pantomimes in the UK in the 2005-2006 season. Pantomime is an important source of revenue for provincial British theatres. First Family Entertainment was taken over by Qdos Pantomimes from the 2017/18 season.
12 Productions are now planned for the 2010/2011 season.
The planned production of Sleeping Beauty at the Sunderland Empire has now been cancelled. Replaced with the musical 'White Christmas, running from 19 November 2010 until 1 January 2011.
Aylesbury Waterside - Cinderella (10-Dec-10 to 9-Jan-11)
Theatre Royal, Brighton - Cinderella (17-Dec-10 to 9-Jan-11)
Bristol Hippodrome - Dick Whittington (11-Dec-10 to 2-Jan-11) with Barbara Windsor, Eric Potts & Andy Ford
Churchill Theatre, Bromley - Aladdin (3-Dec-10 to 9-Jan-11)
King's Theatre, Glasgow - Snow White (3-Dec-10 to 9-Jan-11)
Liverpool Empire Theatre - Aladdin (10-Dec-10 to 2-Jan-11) with Les Dennis
Manchester Opera House - Snow White (3-Dec-10 to 2-Jan-11)
Milton Keynes Theatre - Jack and the Beanstalk (10-Dec-10 to 16-Jan-11)
Richmond Theatre - Sleeping Beauty (10-Dec-10 to 16-Jan-11)
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent - Robinson Crusoe (9-Dec-10 to 9-Jan-11)
New Wimbledon Theatre - Peter Pan (17-Dec-10 to 16-Jan-11)
New Victoria Theatre, Woking - Snow White (11-Dec-10 to 16-Jan-11)
12 Productions were staged for the 2009/2010 season.
Theatre Royal, Brighton - Peter Pan (4-Dec-09 to 3-Jan-10)
Bristol Hippodrome - Snow White (11-Dec-09 to 10-Jan-10)
Churchill Theatre, Bromley - Sleeping Beauty (4-Dec-09 to 17-Jan-10)
King's Theatre, Glasgow - Aladdin (04-Dec-09 to 17-Jan-10)
Liverpool Empire Theatre - Peter Pan (10-Dec-09 to 3-Jan-10)
Manchester Opera House - Aladdin (5-Dec-09 to 3-Jan-10)
Milton Keynes Theatre - Cinderella (4-Dec-09 to 17-Jan-10)
Richmond Theatre - Snow White (4-Dec-09 to 10-Jan-10)
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent - Dick Whittington (10-Dec-09 to 10-Jan-10)
Sunderland Empire - Peter Pan (12-Dec-09 to 10-Jan-10)
New Wimbledon Theatre - Aladdin (4-Dec-09 to 17-Jan-10)
New Victoria Theatre, Woking - Cinderella (4-Dec-09 to 10-Jan-10)
12 Productions were produced for the 2008/2009 season with the addition of the Hippodrome, Bristol and the Empire, Liverpool to the list of venues.
Theatre Royal, Brighton - The Wizard of Oz (5-Dec-08 to 4-Jan-09)
Bristol Hippodrome - Cinderella (12-Dec-08 to 11-Jan-09)
Churchill Theatre, Bromley - Cinderella (5-Dec-08 to 18-Jan-09)
King's Theatre, Glasgow - Cinderella (28-Nov-08 to 11-Jan-09)
Liverpool Empire Theatre - Cinderella (11-Dec-08 to 4-Jan-09)
Manchester Opera House - Peter Pan (6-Dec-08 to 4-Jan-09)
Milton Keynes Theatre - Peter Pan (5-Dec-08 to 18-Jan-09)
Richmond Theatre - Peter Pan (5-Dec-08 to 11-Jan-09)
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent - Snow White (11-Dec-08 to 11-Jan-09)
Sunderland Empire - Aladdin (5-Dec-08 to 4-Jan-09)
New Wimbledon Theatre - Cinderella (5-Dec-08 to 18-Jan-09)
New Victoria Theatre, Woking - Aladdin (5-Dec-08 to 18-Jan-09)
10 productions were staged for the 2007/2008 season with the addition of the Sunderland Empire, owned by Live Nation.
Theatre Royal, Brighton - Cinderella (7-Dec-07 to 6-Jan-08)
Churchill Theatre, Bromley - Peter Pan (30-Nov-07 to 13-Jan-08)
Kings Theatre, Glasgow - Sleeping Beauty (30-Nov-07 to 12-Jan-08)
Manchester Opera House - Cinderella (8-Dec-07 to 6-Jan-08)
Milton Keynes Theatre - Aladdin (7-Dec-07 to 20-Jan-08)
Richmond Theatre - Cinderella (7-Dec-07 to 20-Jan-08)
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent - Cinderella (13-Dec-07 to 13-Jan-08)
Sunderland Empire Theatre - Cinderella (8-Dec-07 to 6-Jan-08)
New Wimbledon Theatre - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (7-Dec-07 to 20-Jan-08)
New Victoria Theatre, Woking - Peter Pan (7-Dec-07 to 13-Jan-08)
9 productions were staged for the 2006/2007 with the addition of the Manchester Opera House as a venue. Pantomimes at the Opera House have previously been produced by Effective Productions and more recently Qdos Entertainment.
Theatre Royal, Brighton - Aladdin (14-Dec-06 to 14-Jan-07)
Churchill Theatre, Bromley - Mother Goose (1-Dec-06 to 14-Jan-07)
Kings Theatre, Glasgow - Aladdin (1-Dec-06 to 13-Jan-07)
Manchester Opera House - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (9-Dec-06 to 7-Jan-07)
Milton Keynes Theatre - Cinderella (7-Dec-06 to 21-Jan-07)
Richmond Theatre - Jack and the Beanstalk (8-Dec-06 to 20-Jan-07)
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent - Aladdin (21-Dec-06 to 14-Jan-07)
New Wimbledon Theatre - Peter Pan (7-Dec-06 to 14-Jan-07)
New Victoria Theatre, Woking - Cinderella (7-Dec-06 to 21-Jan-07)
2005
Susan Hampshire
Richard Wilson
Simon Callow
Richard O'Brien
Stephen Gately
Jonathan Wilkes
Caprice
Patsy Kensit
Twiggy
Bobby Davro
John Rhys-Davies
Toyah Willcox
John Barrowman
Kym Marsh
Simon Shepherd
Christopher Biggins
Warwick Davis
Gerard Kelly
Jonathan Watson
2006
Patrick Duffy
Bobby Davro
Aled Jones
John Challis
Sue Holderness
John Savident
Suranne Jones
Warwick Davis
Kacey Ainsworth
Bradley Walsh
Jeff Hordley
Vicky Entwhistle
Stephen Mulhern
Gerard Kelly
Eric Potts
