Chelmsford Theatre launches children’s competition to record panto welcome lines
Chelmsford Theatre’s Voice of Panto competition has returned for 2025. The competition gives children aged five to eleven the opportunity to write and record their very own pre-show welcome messages to be played throughout the theatre’s foyer and bars over the panto season. It’s the perfect activity to engage their minds as the summer holidays go on.
Aladdin flies into Chelmsford Theatre this November
This year’s panto, Aladdin, runs at the theatre from Friday 28 November 2025 until Sunday 4 January 2026. Audiences can expect magic carpets, genies, dazzling costumes, heroes and villains, and a whole new world of adventure in this classic tale.
As with last year, the Voice of Panto competition seeks unique written entries that reflect this year’s panto and play upon the themes of the classic fairy tale.
How to take part
The competition is now live until Monday 29 September.
To take part, get to work rewriting the below theatre pre-show announcements and submit them online. Each re-written line should retain the essential information highlighted in bold and not take more than ten seconds to read aloud.
- “Welcome to Chelmsford Theatre. The house is now open.”
- “Welcome to Chelmsford Theatre. The show will begin in 15 minutes. Please find your seats.”
- “The show in Chelmsford Theatre will begin in 10 minutes. Please take your seats.”
- “The show in Chelmsford Theatre will begin in 5 minutes. Please take your seats.”
- “The show in Chelmsford Theatre is ready to begin. Please take your seats and enjoy the show.”
The panel of judges is looking for entries with humour, originality, and links to Aladdin to get audiences in high spirits ahead of each show!
Participants should be aged five to eleven at the time of entry and must confirm availability to attend a recording session at Chelmsford Theatre on 21 October from 6pm to 7pm. Read the full terms of entry on the theatre website.
Once the competition closes, a panel of judges will decide on their favourite pre-show panto welcome lines from those submitted. Three winners will then be invited to Chelmsford Theatre on 21 October, where they’ll get a taste of behind-the-scenes theatre and officially record their winning lines.
After the recording session, the winners’ preshow announcements will be played on a rotating schedule during the panto run. Each winner’s voice will be used for at least 15 public shows and 6 school shows. The lucky winners will each also receive two tickets (one adult and one child) to attend this year’s panto, where they can listen out for their very own welcome announcements!
Creative Engagement Officer, Megan Crisp, says:
““Voice of Panto presents an opportunity for local children to become a part of our panto community. This year, we’re launching our competition slightly earlier to give little ones a bit of time to work on their lines during the school holidays.”
Megan Crisp, Creative Engagement Officer, Chelmsford Theatre
“The beloved tale of Aladdin presents some great opportunities for kids to engage their creative thinking skills, and I can’t wait to see what this year’s entrants do with our pre-show announcements. Last year’s winners presented some exceptionally clever and funny lines, which our judging panel took such joy from reading through! With creativity in abundance across Chelmsford, I’m confident we’ll see some more incredible entries this year.”
Last year’s Voice of Panto winners
Voice of Panto is part of Chelmsford Theatre’s Discover programme, and aims to provide opportunities for children and young people to express their creativity and engage with their local theatre.
This is the second year the competition has taken place. Last year’s winners were Buddy, aged five; Poppy, aged six; and Lara, aged eight. They delighted Snow White audiences with their witty lines, which included:
- "The show will begin in 15 minutes. Please get your treats and find your seats. Avoid the apples though." - Poppy
- "The Wicked Queen is behind you! Oh no she isn't! The show starts in 10 minutes, please take your seats." - Lara
- "It's show time baby! We're starting whether you're ready or not... oh yes we are!" - Buddy
This year’s writers can take inspiration from these lines when writing their own for Aladdin!
A wondrous Christmas season awaits at Chelmsford Theatre
Chelmsford Theatre has a bumper programme lined up to delight audiences this festive season. Starting in early November, there’s a Christmas celebration with the UK’s no. 1 vocal harmony group – The Overtones (10 November), while a festive concert, Step Into Christmas (11 November) will bring all the iconic Christmas hits to the stage.
In December, Christmas kicks up a gear, with panto in full swing, including a special backstage tour of Aladdin on 13 December where you can take a peek in the Dame’s dressing room, walk across the panto stage, and see how the production comes together. Another festive family treat arrives with Santa’s North Pole Adventure from 13-24 December. Featuring best-loved Christmas songs, audience participation and the chance to have a photo with Santa himself, this heartwarming show sees the jolly man and his North Pole elves face a bit of a hiccup as they prepare for his big Christmas Eve trip around the world.
There’s also a touching ballet performance of The Nutcracker from Let’s All Dance Ballet Company (6 December), and a hilarious Christmas special from the popular Scummy Mummies (2 December).
Tickets for Aladdin at Chelmsford Theatre are selling quick. With 50% of tickets already sold, it’s best to book your preferred date and seats now on Chelmsford Theatre’s website. Keep up to date with all things panto by following Chelmsford Theatre on Instagram.
Cherelle writes about Chelmsford Theatre, the Museum of Chelmsford, Hylands Estate, the Mayor of Chelmsford and culture and events in the city.