French and Saunders Reunite for Palladium Pantomime
Comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are set to appear together on stage for the first time in 17 years, playing the Ugly Sisters in the London Palladium's pantomime production of Cinderella.
“It won’t be pretty,”the duo said in an announcement on Tuesday.
“We have wished to play the Ugly Sisters for so many years, it feels this is the fulfilment of a dream – a dream our hearts made.”
Longstanding Partnership
French and Saunders began their collaboration nearly 50 years ago after meeting as students at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. They gained widespread recognition through their successful BBC sketch comedy series and toured together in 1990 and 2000. Their most recent tour, French and Saunders: Still Alive!, took place in 2008-09, and they reunited for a podcast titled Titting About in 2020.
Production and Cast Details
Michael Harrison, producer of the Palladium pantomime, expressed enthusiasm about the casting, stating,
“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 cast also includes Dex Lee as Prince Charming and Hope Dawe as Cinderella. They will join Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, and Rob Madge, all of whom have previously appeared in pantomimes at the venue.
The London Palladium revived its pantomime tradition in 2016 after a hiatus since 1987. Julian Clary starred as Dandini in that year’s Cinderella, which was praised by ’s Michael Billington as a "". In 2025, Catherine Tate joined the cast for Sleeping Beauty, which producer Harrison noted,
“broke all records at the London Palladium”with over 137,000 attendees during its run.
Previous Palladium Appearances
Dawn French previously appeared as Queen Dragonella in Snow White at the Palladium in 2018 and returned as Dame Trot in Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022. Jennifer Saunders made her Palladium pantomime debut in 2023, portraying Captain Hook in Peter Pan.
Show Dates and Ticket Information
Cinderella will run from 5 December to 10 January. Tickets will be available for purchase starting 2 April.
