Fans flocking to festive, family-friendly and musical fun
Burlington’s Santa the Panto and other seasonal productions in Hamilton, Ancaster and Waterdown are proving popular as the transition to the holiday season continues on local stages.
Theatre Burlington’s Santa the Panto is a festive family-friendly show for the “young and young at heart,” and the company says it is “a perfect introduction to live theatre for children.”
Santa the Panto follows a long tradition of holiday pantomime or interactive musical comedy stage shows that are particularly popular in the United Kingdom. Pantos feature slapstick humour, audience participation, zany gender-swapped characters, corny jokes, action, and bright colourful costumes. Good triumphs over evil and there’s always a happy ending, maybe even a little romance along the way. Children sit up front on mats while adults use regular chairs.
In Santa the Panto, Beatrix the Bad hates Christmas, so she decides to kidnap Santa so he can't deliver presents. It’s up to Mrs. Claus, Barbie, Ken and the “Elf on a Shelf” to foil Beatrix’s dastardly plans, rescue Santa, and save Christmas.
Like most of her works, U.K. writer Diana Kimpton wrote Santa the Panto specifically for children and with local amateur productions in mind. She offers the script for free on her website and encourages schools and theatre companies to stage the panto without payment of royalties so long as a donation is made to a cystic fibrosis charity. Both of Kimpton’s sons were born with cystic fibrosis, so it is a cause close to her heart.
Kimpton has written more than 40 books, including The Pony-Mad Princess series featuring Princess Ellie and another series with Amy Wild - Animal Talker, a girl who can speak to animals. A former math teacher, more than three decades later Kimpton has a list of children’s novels, picture books, non-fiction, TV scripts, writing guides, and plays to her credit.
Directed by Julie Donoahue and produced by Kathy Hyde-Nagel, the Panto cast includes Vince Carlin, Katelyn Deveau, Karen Gaudun, Donna Guzik, Sienna la Fleur, Ashley Swerdon, Jasvir Tamber and Cynthia Ulba.
The Burlington run is mentioned on the playwright’s website with Kimpton saying, “It looks like a lovely production with brilliant costumes.”
Theatre Ancaster’s multi-show run of The Sound of Music, on until Dec. 1, is all but sold out. A handful of single tickets are left. Contact the box office at boxoffice@memorialarts.ca or 905-304-3232 or see theatreancaster.com.
Village Theatre Waterdown’s version of A Christmas Carol, running until Dec. 8, is proving equally popular. To see if Scrooge can come up with any extra tickets, contact the Burlington Performing Arts Centre box office at 440 Locust St., Burlington, or call 905-681-6000. https://villagetheatrewaterdown.ca/a-christmas-carol/
NEED TO KNOW
Santa The Panto (children’s show)
Theatre Burlington
2311 New St., Burlington
Friday, Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m. (evening show)
Saturday, Nov. 23, 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 24, 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30, 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
General admission, $15
Tickets here
Cash payment and ticket pickup available at the door
Run time: approx. 1 hour
COMING SOON
War of the Worlds (fundraising event)
Binbrook Little Theatre
Memorial Hall
2600 Hwy 56, Hamilton
Saturday, Nov. 30
12:30 p.m.: Silent auction with items donated by local merchants and supporters
2 p.m.: Live performance of the radio play by H.G. Wells
Enjoy a delicious complimentary slice of pie at intermission
General tickets, $25
Tickets here or phone 905-692-5076
CCPAC Showcase 2024 (musical theatre student performance)
Curtain Call Performing Arts Company
The Gasworks
141 Park St. N., Hamilton
Nov. 30, 1 & 5 p.m.
Adult: $22 + $2.44, student/senior: $20 + $2.34
Tickets here or email contact@curtaincallpac.ca
Run time: 45 minutes
