Howl’s Moving Castle is a seasonal alternative to the traditional Christmas panto.

Sophie is an 18-year-old girl who toils in the hat shop opened years ago by her late father. One day she finds she has unexpectedly angered the evil Witch of the Waste and finds herself trapped within a spell that turns the young Sophie into an old woman.

Sophie takes shelter in the home of Howl, a strange but flamboyant wizard whose magical castle can move between various lands and dimensions powered by Calcifer, a fire demon. She embarks on a journey to break her own spell and the one binding Howl and Calcifer together only to discover that there is a lot more to heartless Howl than meets the eye.

Fusing live action and pioneering projection, Southwark Playhouse’s Christmas show recreates the magic of Diana Wynne Jones’s classic novel and is suitable for children from the age of 5.

Howl’s Moving Castle has original music composed by Fyfe Dangerfield (lead singer and songwriter of BRIT Award-nominated British band Guillemots) and features narration from Stephen Fry.