Jason Manford and Ben Nickless return for Manchester panto - how to get tickets from £15

News on the big Opera House panto has just been announced and it will see the comedy double-act reunited

Comedy stars Jason Manford and Ben Nickless will reunite for a fourth year at the big Manchester Opera House Christmas pantomime this year. The duo are loved by families and most recently had audiences rolling in the aisles with their performance in Cinderella at the Opera House.

Today theatre bosses have announced that the 2025 panto will be Robin Hood - and that TV stars Jason and panto favourite Ben will reunite on stage for a fourth consecutive season.

They will lead the cast of this year’s pantomime which is billed as "a spellbinding journey to the enchanting depths of Sherwood Forest in Robin Hood". It replaces the previously listed Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs show at the Opera House.

Running from Saturday 6 December 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026, the annual production will once again bring festive fun to Manchester audiences, with the dynamic duo returning by popular demand. Tickets are now on sale for the shows, with tickets priced from £15 at the ATG website here.

Starring as the title role of Peter Pan, Salford-born Jason has established himself as a firm favourite in Manchester theatre-goers Christmas calendars over the past few years. Away from comedy, Jason has hosted many shows for the BBC and ITV including Unbeatable, Sunday Night at The Palladium and The Royal Variety Performance. and starred in numerous musicals in the West End and across the UK, including Wizard of Oz, Sweeney Todd, The Producers and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

On returning to the Manchester Opera House for another pantomime season, Jason said: "What can I say? It’s just the most amount of fun you can possibly have! Manchester at Christmas with my good pal Ben Nickless.

"To be part of people’s Christmas tradition, as well as so many children’s first experience of theatre, is such a privilege so I just had to come back again this year for Robin Hood! I can’t wait, although I’m not sure about the green tights!"

Joining Jason once again is Britain’s Got Talent finalist and audience favourite Ben Nickless, in the role of Will Scarlett. Rochdale-born Nickless started his working life playing the comedy clubs in the North-West and his career took off in 2006 when he performed his own style of comedy and impressions on the BBC television series Let Me Entertain You alongside Brian Conley and Christine Bleakley, winning his episode.

Some of his previous roles at the Manchester Opera House include Muddles in Snow White, Wishee Washee in Aladdin, Smee in The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan, Silly Simon in Jack and the Beanstalk and most recently, Buttons in Cinderella.

Ben, who marks his seventh consecutive in the Opera House pantomime, said: "I’m over the moon to be back for another year at the Opera House, and I’m even happier that Jason’s coming along for the ride again!

"We had such a fantastic time in Cinderella, and I can’t wait to create even more mischief this Christmas. Manchester has the best audiences in the country, and I promise we’ll have plenty of new routines, laughs, and a few surprises in store!"

Michael Harrison, Chief Executive of the UK’s biggest pantomime producer Crossroads Pantomimes, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have Jason and Ben returning for a fourth season together, bringing their incredible talent and chemistry back to the Opera House stage. Manchester audiences have loved them year after year, so it was a no brainer to bring them back together for our adventure to Sherwood Forest this Christmas."

How to get tickets

There's currently only one place listed to purchase the Opera House panto tickets, and that's via the ATG website here.

Prices currently start from £15, with shows playing for a range of matinee performances at times from 1pm, 2.30pm, 5pm, 7pm on different dates, from December 6, 2025 through to January 4, 2026.