Cbeebies Thumbelina Christmas Show announces cinema screenings

It's a huge highlight of the festive season for small children - and now for the first time the Cbeebies Christmas Show can be watched on the big screen.

This year's festive production is Thumbelina and as ever it will feature many of the channel's most popular actors and presenters including Kent favourites Phil Gallagher (Mister Maker) and Gemma Stamp (Swashbucklers).

The pantomime, filmed in front of an audience at the Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, will be available on BBC iPlayer from Saturday, December 15 ahead of being screened on Cbeebies on Friday, December 21.

But for the first time in its history, cinemas will also be screening Cbeebies Thumbelina in special showings from Saturday, December 15.

Katrina Bryan (Nina and the Neurons, Molly and Mack) takes the role of Thumbelina, while Justin Fletcher (Mr Tumble) stars as Mrs Toad with Phil Gallagher (Mister Maker) as her son, Barney Toad.

The unique adaption is a colourful spectacle of 60s-influenced music, dance and action-packed comedy which is guaranteed to get audiences joining in. It follows the adventures of a thumb-sized girl in an oversized world of woodland creatures and giant plants as she tries to find out the truth about her identity.

Odeon cinemas in Maidstone and Chatham, Bluewater's Showcase Cinema, Vue at Westwood Cross, Cineworld in Ashford and Kavanagh Cinema in Herne Bay are among those listed on the Cbeebies Christmas Show website as showing the production.

For the first time, in addition to watching on BBC iPlayer and the CBeebies channel, families will be able to experience the seasonal show on the big screen in cinemas across the UK along with additional and exclusive content led by Justin Fletcher. For further information on this event cinema experience, please visit www.cbeebieschristmasshow.com