From the UK to Dubai: Reece Donnelly and Lisa-Scott Lee take panto international this winter

Scottish producer, director and entrepreneur Reece Donnelly is taking his growing entertainment business onto the international stage, as Patter Productions prepares to co-produce Cinderella at Dubai’s New Covent Garden Theatre this Christmas. With a cast of seasoned West-End performers, Cinderella promises comedy, music, larger-than-life characters and an extra festive surprise: snow falling inside the theatre. The production runs for a limited season at New Covent Garden Theatre, founded by Lisa Scott-Lee and Johnny Shentall-Lee, at the Mall of the Emirates.

The production, staged at the Mall of the Emirates from 4–24 December 2026, marks an important new international chapter for Donnelly, who will serve as Co-Producer and Director. Presented by Live Nation Middle East in partnership with New Covent Garden Theatre and Patter Productions, the family pantomime brings a distinctly British Christmas tradition to Dubai with a cast combining established UK musical-theatre performers and emerging talent.

The newly announced principal cast brings impressive musical-theatre experience to Dubai. The company includes Brooke Thomson (Aladdin, Glasgow Pavillion) as Cinderella; Melad Hamidi (Hamilton, UK Tour) as Prince Charming; Ollie Chapman (Rapunzel and Her Holiday Wish, New Covent Garden Theatre) as Buttons; Gemma Lockley (Rapunzel and Her Holiday Wish, New Covent Garden Theatre) as Baroness Vindicta; Conor Hinds (The Innocent, White Jacket Productions) as Baron Hardup; Amy Turner as Fairy Godmother; Megan McGuire (The Wizard Wae the Big Baws, UK Tour) as Whitney; Olivia Ringrose (Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park) as Britney; and Rami Farah as Dandini.

The production team is also bringing together performers from different backgrounds, pairing international musical-theatre experience with talent from the region.

Reece Donnelly comments, I’m incredibly excited to be working alongside the New Covent Garden Theatre team as Co-Producer and Director of Cinderella. Lisa, Johnny and I are so excited to bring something fresh, exciting and full of energy to Dubai, while celebrating everything audiences know and love about a great British pantomime.

Panto is such a staple of the festive calendar in the UK, and we want to create that same sense of excitement, tradition and Christmas magic here in the UAE. Cinderella is the perfect place to start — a classic fairytale that everyone knows and loves, reimagined with our own fresh and modern take.

We’re bringing together an incredible national and international cast, featuring stars of London’s West End alongside some of the UAE’s most exciting local performers. We can’t wait to bring the show to life and create something really special for Dubai audiences this Christmas.

Donnelly first entered the entertainment industry as a child performer, with television credits including BBC’s Waterloo Road, CBBC and Nickelodeon, before moving into producing, directing and entrepreneurship. He later reached a national audience as a candidate on BBC One’s The Apprentice. His portfolio now spans the Theatre School of Scotland, Theatre College of Scotland and Patter Productions, through which he has developed ambitious pantomimes and touring entertainment across the UK.

The Dubai engagement is a significant step in the continued development of Patter Productions, building on Donnelly’s work in Scottish theatre and expanding the company’s creative reach beyond the UK.

For Donnelly, the show represents more than a single overseas engagement: it introduces Patter Productions’ style of contemporary British pantomime to a new audience and opens an international chapter in the company’s growth.