16,000 patrons came to see the Civic Panto

“We had 56 performances, and we had over 16,000 patrons across 56 shows for that period of time,” explains the Civic’s Niamh Honer regarding this year’s Civic Panto.

‘Tickles, Beauty and the Beast’ began its run on December 3 and wrapped on January 4, with 56 performances, including 11 school shows and one sensory-friendly show in just over a month, bringing in a staggering estimate of over 16,000 patrons.

The cast consisted of seven principal actors, including familiar characters like Tickles (Kevin Keeley) and Dottie (Robert Downes), along with new actors like Riona Keogh and Adam O’Shea.

This panto also had a dedicated crew, with the production process beginning early in 2025.

Austin Prebula, an American actor, played the Beast and the Prince, having worked on Disney productions in the US.

Auditions for the junior chorus members were held in August, with students from local dance schools taking part.

Rehearsals for the principal cast and dancers began in late October, running through weekends in November.

“Although the public only sees the fruits of our labour, it’s a year-round work in progress for the team,” explains Niamh.

The panto has attracted various groups, including Girl Guides, scouts, corporate companies, and families from abroad, and has become a family tradition, being the fifth to be produced under the helm of Rob Murphy Productions.

Over 80 people worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring this show to life.

The overall vision is by the Civic Panto’s “creative genius”, Rob Murphy, who also wrote the script and directed the show.

Alan McGrath, a local from Tallaght, supported him with his imaginative choreography. Elaine Gallagher led as musical director.

Kyra Clifford was the backbone of the run as the stage manager, supported by Bea Adomaityte as the assistant stage manager.

Other production roles included costume design, show operation, lighting, sound, set design, and makeup.

This was all supported by admin roles by the Civic team in Box Office, finance, marketing and tech management, security and cleaning staff.

The Civic’s Front of House received unwavering support from their young local team of volunteer ushers.

With Donal Shiels as CEO of the Civic, it is hoped the panto will grow from strength to strength in the future and continue to be a family tradition for many years to come.

Tickets for the 2026 Panto ‘Tickles and Dottie are Freezin’ will go on sale soon.

Congratulations to all involved on a successful production.