The Georgian Theatre Royal’s much-loved annual pantomime knitting appeal is back – and this year Richmond’s knitters and crocheters are being invited to help create a sea of jellyfish!
The Theatre is preparing for The Pantomime Adventure of The Little Mermaid, which runs from Friday 4 December 2026 to Saturday 9 January 2027, and is calling on the local community to get involved by knitting or crocheting jellyfish to feature in the show.
And there is no need to buy wool. Thanks to a generous donation, the Theatre has a large quantity of wool available free of charge for anyone who would like to take part. It can be collected from the Georgian Theatre Royal Box Office on a first come, first served basis, along with printed copies of the knitting and crochet patterns.
The annual knitting appeal has become a much-loved part of the Theatre’s pantomime tradition. The handmade creations are thrown onto the stage at a key moment in the show, creating a spectacular burst of colour and fun and echoing the lively audience traditions of the Georgian era.
The appeal began in 2011 with bananas for The Adventures of Sinbad and has featured a different item inspired by the pantomime each year, including doughnuts, snowballs, apples, hearts, fish, ice creams and stars. What began as a local initiative has grown into a much-loved tradition with knitted and crocheted contributions arriving from across the UK and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.
The campaign even attracted national attention when the Theatre’s Treasure Island knitting appeal was featured on BBC’s The One Show.
“We’re always amazed by the creativity and generosity of everyone who gets involved in our annual knitting appeal,” said Georgian Theatre Royal CEO Jo Mawhinney. “This year we’re going under the sea, and we can’t wait to see a whole shoal of colourful jellyfish making their way onto our stage.
“Thanks to a very generous donation, we’re also delighted to be able to offer free wool this year. So if you’d like to take part, pop into the Theatre and collect some wool and a pattern. Whether you’re an experienced knitter or crocheter or are trying it for the first time, we’d love you to join in.”
Jellyfish can be made in any shape, style or colour, giving knitters and crocheters plenty of opportunity to get creative.
The knitting and crochet patterns can be downloaded from the Georgian Theatre Royal website, while printed copies are available from the Box Office. Completed jellyfish should be dropped off at the Box Office or posted to the Theatre at Victoria Road, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4DW, to arrive by Saturday 28 November.
After the pantomime, the knitted creations will be given new homes, with the Theatre donating items to local nurseries, playgroups and charities for play, decoration and learning activities.
So, whether you have been part of the knitting appeal for years or have never picked up a pair of needles before, this is your chance to get involved.
Download the patterns here.
The Pantomime Adventures of The Little Mermaid runs at the Georgian Theatre Royal from Friday 4 December 2026 to Saturday 9 January 2027.
Tickets are available from the Theatre Box Office on 01748 825252 or online at www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk.