I went to see Derbyshire's very own Gladiators star Giant in panto and something about the show surprised me

This enchanting production of Beauty and the Beast brings a unique twist to the classic tale, featuring Derbyshire’s very own Jamie Christian Johal, known as Giant from the BBC series Gladiators.

Towering at 6ft 5, Giant plays a villainous role, promising a commanding stage presence that adds a thrilling “Gladiatorial” dimension to the narrative​.

The Ilkeston local eats around 10,000 calories a day to maintain his physique and is considered as one of the biggest professional bodybuilders in the UK.

He runs Ilkeston Gym and Fitness alongside his wife Katie. In January 2024, he began appearing as "Giant" on British TV endurance sports game show Gladiators.

Joining Giant are panto veterans Tam Ryan and Ian Adams, alongside an accomplished cast including Olivia Mitchell as Belle, Tom Lowe as Prince-Beast, and Jarneìia Richard-Noel from Six the Musical as the Fairy.

My daughter was positively howling with laughter as Tam Ryan and Ian Adams slipped and slided over shaving foam. Another real highlight for them was when the cast ran into the audience to squirt everyone with water.

The show is directed by Andrew Lynford, with choreography by Natalie Bennyworth and music direction by Rob Murray​.

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Expect dazzling costumes, comedic interludes, and heartfelt moments, making it a perfect outing for families and theatre enthusiasts.

I take my girls every year to see the pantomime at the Grand, they love it - and so do I. My favourite part each time is watching Tam Ryan, who played Joey this year, captivate, amuse and charm the audience all the way through.

The standout vocals from Jarnelia Richard-Noel, Olivia Mitchell and Tom Lowe were real highlights - and the modern song choices added a real twist to the classic storyline.

Something that really surprised me (pleasantly) was the array of modern and different songs used as a twist on the classic tale. It really worked well and had everyone clapping and singing along.

Tom Lowe, who plays the beast, really shone on stage with a dynamic rendition of Bat Out Of Hell. There were also surprising songs in there too such as Roar by Katy Perry, Elton John’s Something About the Way You Look Tonight and many more.

This year’s production was as bright and vibrant as always, with the use of very fancy digital staging - however, the cast felt a lot smaller.

This didn’t hinder the amazement of all the adults and children in the theatre though, especially the belly laughs had at the end when three youngsters from the audience headed onto stage with Joey (Tam Ryan).

A real standout star, other than Tam Ryan, was Timothy Lucas as Bilston - he was hilarious and great at singing too.

The panto brought all the usual moments (‘it’s behind you’) and the slapstick scenes we all know and love, but for me at its heart was that it was just really fun (and funny).

There were Wolves jokes, Tipton references and a shout-out to Smethwick, as well as nods to the area and accent throughout the show as well.

Belly-laugh inducing script, vibrant staging, props and costumes and a stellar cast of talent makes for a five-star pantomime once again from Wolverhampton’s Grand.

Well done to the whole team, you never disappoint!.

At the end I asked my six-year-old what her favourite parts were and she said: “All of it mummy, it was so funny!”

What you need to know

Running time: 5 Dec - 5 Jan 2025

Tickets are available on the Grand Theatre website.

Relaxed Performances: Thursday 12 December at 11am, Friday 13 December at 11am and Saturday 14 December at 11am

Babes In Arms tickets are available for this production

Family Ticket Offer: £99* for 4 tickets (minimum of 1 adult and 1 child). Available on red performances until Friday 13 December only. *A £4 booking fee applies to all purchases

First Call Offer: £42* for 2 tickets (1x First Call Member & 1 accompanying adult 18+). Available on green, red and purple performances (excluding gold seats & excluding Sat 14 Dec at 11am). *A £4 booking fee applies to all purchases.

School Party Rates Available: Please contact Box Office on 01902 42 92 12

Access Performances:

BSL Interpreted Performances – Wednesday 11 December at 2:30pm & 7pm | Saturday 4 January at 2.30pm

Audio Described Performances – Tuesday 10 December at 2:30pm | Wednesday 11 December at 2:30pm | Thursday 12 December at 11am | Saturday 4 January at 2.30pm

Captioned Performance – Wednesday 18 December at 7pm

Access Information: Wheelchair positions can be booked online for our Access Register members or by calling the Box Office on weekdays between 2pm-6pm – 01902 42 92 12