Auditions have wrapped up for the Nanaimo Theatre Group’s upcoming Christmas time pantomime, and now the real work begins.
Starting on Sept. 28, the cast and crew will report to the Nanaimo Theatre Group’s Bailey Studio three times a week for three hours at a time until opening night on Dec 21.
“It’s a huge commitment on the part of the actors. Also the crew, but particularly the actors. [It’s a] big time commitment,” producer Joan Roszmann said.
A pantomime is an over-the-top musical with exaggerated characters and bright costumes and typically includes drag. For example, the male protagonist might by played by a women, while the queen is played by a man.
This year’s pantomime is of Puss in Boots. In the story a commoner and his talking cat attempt to save a princess from being married off to a wicked ogre. It is the group’s only musical of the year and the first time the theatre company has staged the fairy tale.
“We’ve been doing pantos for about 20 years, so a lot of the shows have been done,” Roszmann said, pointing out that the halls of the Bailey Theatre don’t have enough space for all the posters from past shows.
“It just looked like a good story. There are a few other criteria, we try not to be too vulgar, for example. Some of the more modern pantos are starting to get fairly risqué and we like a little more family-friendly story.”
At the auditions, prospective cast members demonstrated their singing and dancing abilities and took turns running through scenes with each other. Roszmann said there were many familiar actors in attendance, as well as younger newcomers with high school drama or club experience.
“It’s a great starter show. There are usually quite a few high school students involved in this… Sometimes those ones with little experience have done high school shows and sometimes they’ve worked with other companies in town as well. Sometimes they’ve had dancing lessons, singing lessons. A lot of talent comes out to audition.”
Roszmann said about 25 actors showed up to compete for the play’s 17 roles. Now that the show has been cast she is looking forward to bringing the story to the stage.
“We have a strong, experienced cast, all very excited to be in the show and ready to work hard to create another amazing panto.”