The “panto” is back.
The Sunshine Coast’s Driftwood Players are once again mounting a seasonal, British-style pantomime production, this one based on the Robert Louis Stevenson adventure, Treasure Island.
Along with the hearty shouts of “ahoy,” “aye,” and “aargh,” director Richard Lund promises the play will feature all the delightful audience interaction that distinguishes panto from more sedate, traditional theatre.
“We’re going to go out behind the audience into the lobby, and come out the side doors,” said Lund at a recent rehearsal. “We’re going to hide in the audience, we’re going to pull members of the audience up on stage – kids and adults, so they’re all totally involved.”
Lund acknowledged that Canadians aren’t used to the panto style, so he’s inserted a couple of extra characters among the cast of 17 to help engage the audience.
“I call them ‘audience whips,’ they’re like parliamentary whips, who help move things along,” Lund said. “They’re going to go out into the audience and get people, they’re going to hold signs say things like “Awww” at the sentimental moments. And they’re also going to join the pirates in the choruses. Their job is to get the audience going.”
Lund has adapted the script from a successful production done in Sussex, England, last year, and has inserted a number of local references, also typical of panto. Much of the action takes place in “Gramma’s Blackfish Pub,” for instance. And what about the treasure?
“We’ve made arrangements to go and get it and bring it home… to Gibsons,” said actor Ed White, who plays reformed pirate Billy Bones.
Another panto tradition is cross-gendering, thus you’ll see a very tall, bearded Mac Dodge playing the character of Mrs. Hawkins.
“The romantic leads are cross-gender as well,” said Lund. “The boy, Jim Hawkins, is played by a girl [Gravity Guignard] and Emma, his girlfriend, is really a boy [Gabriel Ryan]. So that’s going to be fun.”
Another feature of panto is the classic custard pie fight, and Lund assured that (shaving cream) pies will be in the air.
“You know how they work,” Lund said. “In a custard pie fight, you’ve upset me, so I go to throw a custard pie at you, you duck, and the person next to you gets it. So that person picks one up to throw back at you, you duck again and then I get it. And on it goes.”
There will be several opportunities to catch Treasure Island, with six performances over the next two weekends at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons, starting Friday Nov. 23. There will be two more performances, on Dec. 8 and 9 at the Chatelech Secondary School theatre in Sechelt. Tickets are $20 for adults; $10 for students and children, at Laedeli Gifts, The Blackberry Shop, Sechelt Visitor Centre, and share-there.com
