The fourth annual JW3 panto has been revealed to be Dick Whittingberg Gets Into a Pickle , as casting is announced for the show, which will be staged at JW3 (also known as Jewish Community Centre London).
Dick Whittingberg Gets Into a Pickle will star Aveev Isaacson (Salome) as Dick, and will run between 6 December 2026 and 3 January 2027 at JW3 (also known as Jewish Community Centre London).
Isaacson is joined by Debbie Chazen, Gaby Coleman, Rosie Yadid and John Henry Falle, with Nick Cassenbaum returning as writer and lyricist.
The JW3 panto offers a distinctly Jewish spin on the traditional British pantomime. JW3 said audiences can expect: “all the usual trimmings, including a live band playing klezmer versions of festive favourites, pickle puns aplenty, and a generous helping of heimishe humour.”
Cassenbaum said in a statement: “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.”
Dick Whittingberg Gets Into a Pickle follows three sellout JW3 pantomimes over consecutive years: Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig, Goldie Frocks and the Bear Mitzvah, and last year’s Cinderella and the Matzo Ball.
Who’s in the Dick Whittingberg Gets Into a Pickle cast?
Isaacson is joined by Debbie Chazen (Murder on the Orient Express), returning to the JW3 panto stage as Sarah Fritz, while and Gaby Coleman (Sin the Musical) will play Bow Bells.
Rosie Yadid (Bad Jews) returns to JW3 as Nigella Garbage, having previously appeared as Milchig in last year’s panto Cinderella and the Matzo Ball, while John Henry Falle (Ghosts) will play Tevye Tittlebaum.
Completing the company are Lillith Freeman (Cinderella and the Matzo Ball) as understudy and ensemble, and Ilya Jackson (Romeo & Juliet) will play rat henchmen Schmaltz and Schmutz.
What is Dick Whittingberg Gets Into a Pickle about?
Dick Whittingberg Gets Into a Pickle is set in 18th century London, and follows young Dick as he arrives by boat hoping to make his fortune, only to stumble from one scrape to the next – crossing paths with a mischievous talking cat, a villainous rat, and a diamond heist centred on Ratton Garden.
Creative team
The creative team returns to JW3 for its pantomime for a fourth consecutive year, led by writer and lyricist Nick Cassenbaum (Bubble Schmeisis), alongside musical director and lyricist Josh Middleton (Indecent, Watch on the Rhine), director Abigail Anderson (The Canterbury Tales), and choreographer Yael Loewenstein (The Dance of Spring, Cinderella and the Matzo Ball).
They are joined by producer Becky Plotnek, production manager Lee Elston, designer Emily Bestow, lighting designer Ciaran Cunningham, sound designer Jon Fiber, company stage manager Judith Volk, costume supervisor Moa Johansson, JW3 producer Katie Burse, and musicians Theo Wishart (on double bass) and Scarlett Alexander (on percussion).
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