A star-studded Mother Goose pantomime is to go on tour across England.

Aping the high point of pantomime in the 1960s and 70s, when the annual productions would regularly run for up to six months in large towns, cities and resorts, the new show will tour between 3rd December and 11th March 2023.

Sir Ian McKellen is to star in the traditional dame role as the titular Mother Goose, with comedians John Bishop as her husband, Vic, and Mel Giedroyc as the magical goose.

Producers tease: "Ma and Pa are running an animal sanctuary inside an abandoned department store. But when a magical goose comes a-knocking, will fame and fortune get the better of them?!

"Will Ma's feathers get ruffled? Will Pa tell everyone to get stuffed?! And is their humble life about to turn fowl? Get ready for fairies with hefty vocal chords, puppets with tap dance qualifications and impeckably constructed mayhem that will quack up the whole family."

Promising to be "side-splitting", it has been written by Jonathan Harvey (Gimme Gimme Gimme, Panto!) and is directed by actor and director Cal McCrystal (Inside No. 9).

Mother Goose debuts at Brighton's Theatre Royal on 3rd December 2022 and moves to Duke of York's Theatre in the West End from 15th December until 29th January 2023. It then resumes at the Liverpool Empire Theatre on 28th February, and finally appears at the New Theatre, Oxford, from 7th March.

Tickets are now available to book, starting at just £13.