We are hosting two sessions this year designed for children with special educational needs and disabilities, such as ASD or sensory processing disorders, to enjoy our Christmas panto in a more relaxed environment. 

If you have attended our panto before, you will likely be aware that we have always left space at the back of the hall for children who might need to move around, or simply prefer a little more space, and upon feedback from our guests we would like to expand on this to help more of our guests enjoy a festive celebration with us. Here are some of the changes we have made for these quiet sessions:

1. The music which forms a part of the show, and which is played as children come into the Hall will be kept significantly quieter. The interactive element of the show which involves singing and dancing will still be included to help provide a multi-sensory experience.

2. Our elf, where possible, will be signing the show for any children who understand BSL.

3. We have allocated more time at the end of the show for children to meet Father Christmas and have a photo with him. We understand some children may be very chatty and others may want to leave the show as soon as it's over. If children are uncomfortable with speaking to Father Christmas but would still like their Christmas wishes passed on, Mother Christmas and her elf will come to them instead.

4. Capacity for these shows have been decreased from 80 tickets, to 50 tickets. 

 
Your Journey to The Panto

Knowing what to expect can often help children to feel more prepared, and you may therefore wish to discuss, ahead of time, what they are likely to experience throughout the event

1. We generally advise families arrive no earlier than 20 minutes before the beginning of your booked performance. This will give you plenty of time to make your way to the Hall. 

2. Arrival and parking for the Panto is at our usual Visitor Car Park using postcode TN11 8DG

3. Once parked, please head to the Visitor Entrance which is found just inside the doors to our Gift Shop (children will be able to see the Gift Shop as they go in)

4. Our staff will sign you in and you will head towards the Lime Walk which is a gravel path with a slight incline, about 100 metres in length. At the end is usually a set of stairs but for the duration of the Panto, a ramp is installed. 

5. You will enter the House from the Stableyard into a small lobby which will be decorated to represent a winter woodland scene. There may be a member of staff collecting tickets, or you may be greeted by Mother Christmas.

6. From the lobby, three steps lead into a corridor transformed into a tree avenue. Although there are Christmas lights in the trees, this corridor is not brightly lit.

For accessibility purposes, or if a child is uncomfortable with the tree avenue, there is an alternative entrance into the Baron’s Hall which avoids the lobby and corridor. It may be necessary to wait for another member of staff to escort you to the alternative entrance.

- We generally require buggies to be left outside but, if absolutely necessary, they may be brought into the Baron’s Hall via the alternative entrance.

 7. Once through the tree avenue you will enter the Baron’s Hall where decorations hang from the ceiling of the Minstrels’ Gallery and tables are decorated with snowmen (armour covered with sheets and dressed in hats and scarves) and Christmas lights. Chairs are set out theatre style, but there is space at the back, and beneath the Minstrel’s Gallery, if a child needs to stand or wander

8. There will be an open fire in the centre of the Hall, surrounded by a metal fireguard.

9.    Despite the fire, the Hall is generally as cold as the outdoors and coats etc may need to be kept on.

10.    There will be Christmas music playing whilst everyone is entering and seating themselves. The remaining cast members may be wandering around the audience areas as you arrive.

11. The theme of the panto is that the Ice Queen freezes Mother Christmas and the Elf, meaning that present-making has stopped, and Christmas will have to be cancelled. The audience will need to help Father Christmas, with songs and dance, to thaw them out and rescue Christmas.

12. The performance will last approximately 25 minutes, after which children have the opportunity to take a chocolate bar from the Elf and have a photograph taken with Father and/or Mother Christmas. Should children not feel comfortable going up to see Father Christmas, the Elf and Mother Christmas can come to them, or give their chocolate to a parent/ guardian to ensure they don’t miss out.

 13. You will exit the Hall via the main entrance door (not via the corridor and lobby) to walk round into the Stableyard and back down to the Gift Shop/Visitor Entrance.

Some Other Things To Be Aware Of:

1. Children are welcome to bring along anything that may help them regulate and feel comfort, including sensory/ fidget toys, ear defenders, teddies/ toys.

2. Weather permitting, the Adventure Playground will be open for your use after the performance. We may need to close it without warning should we deem conditions unsafe.

3. Both the Gift Ship and Porcupine Pantry Café will be open from 9am – 5pm, with warm lunches such as paninis served until 3pm.

Full Event Information, Booking Terms & Plot!

The North Pole Elves and their gift making & wrapping skills are out in full force as we mark off the days before 25th December. With Mother Christmas overseeing proceedings helped by her Head Elf, this year will be no different when it comes to packing, wrapping and stacking gift efficiency, after all, only some sort of dark Christmas magic could interrupt this flow and there's none of that around, right?

Not if the Ice Queen has anything to say about it! Prompted by her loathing for this gleeful festive season, she has frozen Mother Christmas and the Elves which means present making and wrapping has stopped, and there's only one man with magic enough to reverse her spell. Will you join us this December and help Father Christmas rescue his wife and faithful Elves, and stop Christmas being cancelled?

This year's Panto-style story is ideal for children aged 0 - 12, or anyone who simply loves Christmas! 

• Tickets £8.50 per person inclusive of a small booking fee. ALL attendees require a ticket each.
• Babies-in-arms (up to one year) will not require a ticket but must sit on the lap of a parent/ guardian
• All tickets are non-refundable
• Performances last approx. 25 minutes, with plenty of time at the end to take a family photograph with Father Christmas if you wish.
• Tickets include access to the Panto and Adventure Playground only. All other attractions at Penshurst Place, to include the House and Gardens, will be closed. We may need to close the Adventure Playground with no warning if weather conditions (heavy rain for instance) deem it unsafe.
• Performances are limited to 50 guests per show to allow everyone ample room, and a good view of the performance.
• Please arrive no earlier than 20 minutes before the start of your booked performance
• Please note performances take place in the Baron's Hall which is a 5 - 10 minute walk from the Visitor Entrance. A ramp will be installed on the Lime Walk stairs for buggy and wheelchair access.
• The Baron's Hall is a medieval Hall with NO heating. Please make sure you are wrapped up nice and warm.
• The Gift Shop and Porcupine Pantry Cafe will both be open daily from 9am, until guests depart after the final performance. 
• Tickets include access to our Adventure Playground, though we would recommend visiting the playground after the performance, unless you are attending the last performance of the day in which case you may visit the Playground ahead of the performance whilst it is still light
• We reserve the right to close the Adventure Playground without warning should we feel the conditions (likely caused by wet weather) make it unsafe to use