About us

The Muslim Panto is a seasonal family theatre company built on one simple idea: everyone deserves a night out at the theatre where nothing has to be explained away, skipped past or apologised for.

Since 2023 we have taken the fairytales everyone grew up with and retold them through the warmth, chaos and humour of a Muslim household. Aunties who know everything. Uncles who know better. Cousins who arrive late and leave last. The result is a show where children laugh at the slapstick, parents laugh at the punchlines they recognise from their own living rooms, and grandparents finally get the jokes too.

How it started

The Muslim Panto was founded by comedian, actor and writer Abdullah Afzal, known to many for his work on the BBC series Citizen Khan.

The idea did not begin in a boardroom. It began with a father taking his children to a traditional pantomime and realising, partway through, that the show was not made with families like his in mind. He loved the format. The music, the audience shouting back, the villain everyone boos. He simply wanted a version his whole family could sit through together without wincing.

So he built one.

Our first production, Cinder'Aliyah, was followed by Beauty and the Balaah in 2024 and then Snow Brown and her Seven Chachay, which turned the Muslim Panto from a good idea into a winter tradition for families across the country.

What makes our shows different

No fourth wall. We are not interested in performing at you. Our cast walk into the audience, pull people onto the stage and build half the show out of whatever happens next. If you sit in the front row, consider yourself warned.

Written by us, for us. The jokes land because the writers have lived them. Cultural references, family dynamics, the specific comedy of a South Asian Muslim household. Nothing needs translating for the people in the room.

Genuinely suitable for everyone. From toddlers to grandparents, the whole family watches the same show and enjoys the same show. Parents can relax instead of covering eyes.

Unusual venues, proper productions. We perform in theatres, banquet halls and schools, and we bring full staging, live music and a nine strong cast wherever we go. If your city does not have a theatre that will book us, we will find a hall and fill it anyway.

The response

We have been covered by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Arab News and The National, and reviewed rather more enthusiastically by the families who come back every year.

We have also managed to irritate a small number of people who object to the very existence of a Muslim pantomime. We take that as a sign we are doing something right.

Come and see us

Tour dates, venues and tickets for The Lion Sheikh are all available directly on this site. Shows sell out early, and popular cities sell out first.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube at Muslim Panto for cast announcements, behind the scenes clips and new dates as they are added.

Bring the whole family. Bring the aunties. Bring your voice, because you will need it.