First West End appearance together in 17 years

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are to appear together on the West End stage for the first time in 17 years, it was announced today.

The pair will be taking on the roles of the Ugly Sisters in this year's pantomime at the London Palladium.

‘We have wished to play the Ugly Sisters for so many years,’ the pair said in a joint statement. ‘It feels like the fulfilment of a dream — a dream our hearts made. Watch out. It won't be pretty.’

The comedy duo will join a returning cast that includes Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin and Nigel Havers when Cinderella opens on December 5 and runs until January 10,.

Clary will play the Fairy Godfather, a role in keeping with his long association with the venue — this will be his 11th consecutive year in the Palladium pantomime, a run he shares with Zerdin and Havers. Rob Madge, who appeared in the 2022 production of Jack and the Beanstalk, also returns.

Both French and Saunders have appeared separately in the Palladium panto in recent years. French played Queen Dragonella in Snow White in 2018 and Dame Trot in Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022. Saunders made her debut in the 2023 production of Peter Pan, playing Captain Hook.

Producer Michael Harrison said: ‘We always want to raise the bar for our incredible panto audiences each year, so I’m absolutely delighted that Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will be starring in this year’s Cinderella. 

‘Having two of the nation’s most beloved comedy icons together on the Palladium stage is incredibly exciting. Their legendary chemistry and razor-sharp humour will make this a truly special experience for audiences.’

The show is the 11th consecutive pantomime season that Harrison has staged at the Palladium, having revived the tradition in 2016, also with a production of Cinderella. Last year's production of Sleeping Beauty drew more than 137,000 people over five weeks.

Also in the cast will be Dex Lee, known for his role in the BBC drama Doctors, as Prince Charming, and Hope Dawe as Cinderella — both making their Palladium pantomime debuts. .  

• Click here to make Chortle a 'preferred source' on Google, which means results from this site will appear higher in your search results.

Published: 24 Mar 2026