The Reluctant Dragon is a brand-new family musical from the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, and the perfect introduction to theatre for young children this festive season. When a fairytale-obsessed child discovers a real-life dragon living in a nearby cave, panic spreads through the village, but instead of a fire-breathing monster, the child finds a friendly, flamboyant creature who loves to perform poetry and bask in the sunshine. Adapted from the story by Kenneth Grahame (The Wind in the Willows), it's full of laughter, music and heart.

Dates & Times
5th December 2026 to 3rd January 2027, in the Marlowe Studio
Saturday 5th December: 2.30pm
6th and 8th December: 1pm
9th December: 1pm and 4.30pm
10th December: 2pm and 4.30pm
11th December: 11am and 1.30pm
12th December: 10.30am, 1.30pm and 4pm
13th December: 11am and 2pm
15th December: 10.30am and 1.30pm
16th December: 11am and 2pm
17th December: 10.30am, 1.30pm and 4pm
19th December: 10am, 1pm and 3.30pm
20th December: 11am and 2pm
21st December: 10am, 1pm and 3.30pm
Tuesday 22nd December: 11.30am and 2.30pm
23rd and 24th December: 10.30am and 1.30pm
27th December: 10.30am, 1.30pm and 4pm
28th to Thursday 31st December: 11.30am and 2.30pm
2nd January: 11.30am and 2.30pm
3rd January: 11am and 2pm.

Runtime & Schedule
Runtime: 1 hour
Schedule: for dates with more than one performance, our calendar shows the full range from the start of the first show to the end of the last show

Price
£18
Discounts and school tickets available
Booking fees will apply.

Accessibility
Captioned session: 20th December, 11am and 2p
Audio described: 22nd December, 2.30pm
Relaxed: 29th December, 11.30am
British Sign Language: 30th December, 2.30pm
There will be a free touch tour before the Audio Described performance on 22nd December. This is for blind and partially sighted customers and provides an opportunity to immerse themselves by touching parts of the set, props and costumes.

Age Guidance
3 years +.

Marlowe Theatre Visiting Details
See our The Marlowe in Canterbury listing for information including parking, accessibility and more.

⭐ Ready to book? Click on the Website link above to go directly to the Marlowe Theatre booking page. ⭐

🔗 More Like This
Looking for more festive shows, carols and concerts? Explore our Christmas Shows, Carols & Concerts in Kent guide and our Pantomimes in Kent guide, or our Seasonal category for more Christmas event listings, or visit our Christmas in Kent page for links to all our festive guides.

Picture Credit: © The Marlowe Trust.

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