So, what do we have up our sleeves for you in 2026? What’s in our pocketful of Pantos?
Well, it’s all-new-and-now, written especially for you!
Take a deep dive down the Rabbit Hole with us and enter the World of Wonder …
Yes, you guessed it! It’s ……???
ALICE IN WONDERLAND”!!
Meet young Alice, the much-more-than Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the crazy Caterpillar, and of course, the awful old “Off with her head!” Queen of Hearts.
And of course, there will be many more old favorites to tickle your fancy, fiddle with your funny-bone, and activate your Giggle-button.
The witty’n’with-it music, the stunning scenery, the dancing, the lights, and the silly’n’satirical story will capture your imaginations!
It’s magical, musical and mad! It’s big, it’s bright and it’s bonkers!
We’ll take you off on a trip of family-friendly fun! Come to the whackiest Panto of them all!
So book now! Don’t be late for a very important date! Meet me at the Joburg Theatre next year! I can’t wait!! Seeyah there!
Leading this year’s magical adventure is an outstanding South African cast.
Guiding us down the rabbit hole is Alice, played by the talented Ashley Scott, who started her professional career as Liesl Von Trapp in The Sound of Music in 2023, followed by the lead role of Mara in the International World Premiere of Disney's The Magic Box in 2024 and then in 2025 as a Swing and Roxie Understudy in Chicago, before starring in the South African debut of Pretty Woman.
Marking his eighth Janice Honeyman Pantomime, Desmond Dube will be stepping into the role of Dame Nanny Fanny Floppalot. With an impressive career spanning TV, film and stage as well as receiving numerous local and international awards for his outstanding work as a performer, he is well known for his role in the TV programme Suburban Bliss and the series How to Ruin Christmas, as well as other memorable performances on stage and screen.
Russel Savadier plays the role of Narrator Lewis Carroll as he transports audiences through this magical tale. Working extensively as an actor in TV and film, his theatre accolades include Lanford Wilson’s Burn This, for which he received a Best supporting actor award, Another Country, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Comedy of Errors, Boys Next Door, Lisbon Traviata, Oleanna, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Popcorn, Waiting for Godot, Romance and as the rapidly unravelling Theatre Director in The Play that goes Wrong and most recently in the Market Theatre’s production of The Good White.
The evil Queen of Hearts is played by Brendan Van Rhyn who first starred in a Janice Honeyman Pantomime 25 years ago. Van Rhyn is best known for his alter ego, Cathy Specific in shows like Mile High, The Triplets of Belville, Trolley Dollies, MC for Madame Zingara, as well as other theatrical productions. He also starred as Lurch in The Addams Family, Von Rothbart in Swan Lake, Frank n Furter in The Rocky Horror Show for several seasons, Trevor Grayden in Thoroughly Modern Millie and more.
Bongi Archi hops into his 11th pantomime as The White Rabbit. Bongi Archi is a dynamic and versatile entertainer, known for his work as a singer, actor, music director, voice-over artist, and TV personality. Rising to fame on Idols South Africa in 2010, he has since become a beloved figure in the country’s theatre and music scenes, starring in major pantomimes like Cinderella, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast and last year’s Pinocchio. His talents have taken him from national festivals to international stages.
Charlie Bouguenon is our Mad Hatter. He has performed in South African classics such as Saturday Night at the Palace, and the Afrikaans Mis by Reza de Wet, in South African protest theatre including Somewhere on the Border, and Brutal Legacy, American plays such as A Raisin in the Sun and Passover, and British classics A Christmas Carol and My Fat Friend. He has also been a regular in musical theatre including Dear Evan Hansen, The Rocky Horror Show, Jersey Boys, Sweeney Todd, Dancing the Death Drill and many more. He was critically acclaimed in the one-man-show Hans Steek Die Rubicon Oor. Although he has ten Joburg Theatre productions under his belt, this is his first pantomime
Bringing the colourful inhabitants of Wonderland vividly to life are Siya Makakane as The Chesire Cat, Lesedi Rich as the Caterpillar and Danny Meaker as Jack of Hearts.
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