Cast Announced for JW3 Panto Dick Whittingberg Gets Into a Pickle

JW3 and Plotnek Productions are planning, scheming and brining for this year’s festive affair, as they unveil the full cast forDick Whittingberg Gets Into a Pickle. Now in its fourth iteration, the annual pantomime at JW3 has become a firm favourite for audiences across London and beyond, bringing the whole mischpocher and their menshchen (family and friends!) together for a joyful, distinctly Jewish twist on the much-loved British pantomime tradition. Set in 18th century London, young Dick travels to London by boat to make a name for himself, but soon finds he gets into one pickle after another, with a mischievous talking cat, a nasty, villainous rat and a diamond heist in Ratton Garden to boot! 

Following the sellout success ofRed Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig (2024 Offie Nominated, Outstanding Performance), Goldie Frocks and the Bear Mitzvah(2025 Offie Nominated, Outstanding Production; Pantomime Award nominated, Best Newcomer)and last year’sCinderella and the Matzo Ball, Dick Whittingberg promises to be a joyful, laugh-out-loud addition to the festive season. Audiences can be sure to expect all the essential ingredients that make our pantomime the real dill – including a live band on stage playing klezmer versions of all your favourite songs and pickle puns aplenty, all served up with a generous helping of heimishe humour.

The creative team are back again for a fourth consecutive year, with writer and lyricist Nick Cassenbaum (Bubble Schmeisis, Summerhall; Fringe First Winning REVENGE: After the Levoyah, Soho Theatre). He will be joined once again by the extraordinary musical talents of Musical Director and lyricist Josh Middleton (Indecent,The Menier Chocolate Factory 2020 -21; Watch on the Rhine,The Donmar Warehouse) alongside acclaimed director Abigail Anderson (The Canterbury Tales, Guildford Shakespeare Company; Harpy, UK Tour) and choreography by Yael Loewenstein (The Dance of Spring, Victoria & Albert Museum; Cinderella and the Matzo Ball,JW3). 

Bringing this shiny, briny adventure to life, Aveev Isaacson (NewsRevue,Canal Café Theatre; Salome, Theatre Royal Haymarket) stars as Dick Whittingberg. Debbie Chazen returns to the JW3 Panto stage (Murder on the Orient Express, UK Tour; Jews. In Their Own Words, Royal Court)as Sarah Fritz, while Gaby Coleman (Sin the Musical, The Other Palace; Two Strangers and a Clipboard, Etcetera Theatre) takes on the role of Bow Bells. Rosie Yadid (Bad Jews, West End; Mimi, Soho Theatre) returns to JW3 as Nigella Garbage, following her appearance as Milchig, of the nasty sisters in Cinderella and the Matzo Ball in 2025, alongside John Henry Falle (Ghosts, BBC; Aladdin, Watford Palace Theatre) as Tevye Tittlebaum. This year’s understudy and ensemble cast members are Lillith Freeman (Museum of Living History, Unpuzzled Theatre; Cinderella and the Matzo Ball,JW3) who returns to JW3 again and Ilya Jackson (Romeo and Juliet, RSC; A View from the Bridge, RCS) who will be playing rat henchmen Schmaltz and Schmutz.

Writer and lyricist Nick Cassenbaum comments, I am so excited to finally get my hands on Dick Whittington or should I say WHITTINGBERG. This is such an iconic London panto and to be able to give it a Yiddishe twist is a dream come true. Audiences will see Dick arriving in a way that many Jewish (and non-Jewish) families with immigrant history did facing many similar obstacles. BUT this doesn’t mean it’s not going to be a pantomime… it is, and a hilarious one too.

Main Image: Courtesy of Dick Whittingberg Gets into a Pickle

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