Pantomimes are fun high energy family entertainment and include lots of audience involvement. They are terrific fun and are available right here in Ladysmith.
And there are still volunteer opportunities available behind the scenes for this year’s production as light and sound technicians, assistant stage managers, sewing costumes and helping with set painting.
Gordon McInnis is directing this year’s pantomime, Hickory Dickory Dock, at Ladysmith Little Theatre. Pantomime has been a long standing part of McInnis’s community theatre career and he hopes Ladysmith will embrace this year’s production and make pantomime part of their Christmas traditions.
The cast includes 16 members and a chorus of five. This is the second year the whole Trimble family will be involved either on stage, behind the scenes helping with costumes or in the audience helping our actors fight evil. Theatre co-founder Terry Whittaker will return to the Ladysmith stage as Willie.
Pantomime (Panto for Short) is a traditional British Christmas play which provides children a chance to go to the theatre.
It has developed into a family entertainment show, loosely based on a traditional children’s story, like the nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock. But pantomime really began as entertainment for adults.
It can be traced right back to the ancient Roman ‘Saturnalia’; the mid-winter feast at which everything was supposed to be turned topsy-turvey. Men dressed up as women and women as men, just like the Pantomime Dames (men comically dressed up as women) and Principal Boys (young women dressed up as boys) of modern day panto.
Pantomime is now a popular family entertainment. The audience has to work almost as hard as the performers, whether it be by joining in the songs, assisting in conjuring tricks, booing the villains and warning the hero by shouting, ‘He’s behind you!’
Ladysmith Little Theatre’s Hickory Dickory Dock will run from December 15-31, for a total of nine performances including two matinees.
Tickets are $15.00, except for the New Year’s Eve Gala (Dec. 31) which are $40 and includes the show followed by a light buffet to bring in the New Year.
If you would like to be involved in this fun high energy production please contact director Gordon McInnis at 250-754-3478 or email him at grmcinnis@hotmail.com or contact Susan Carthy, volunteer coordinator at 250-924-3341 or email her at susan.carthy@shaw.ca.
For more information or to book tickets on line go to our theatre website at www.ladysmiththeatre.com or call the box office at 250-924-0658.
-Submitted by Carol Sparham
Ladysmith Players
