It’s that time of year again
For certain members of society, Christmas can mean only one thing: panto
To you Christmas may mean turkey, mince pies and cards written hastily at work because someone was left off your list. But for me, as a member of the Anglo Cypriot Theatre (ACT), Christmas means only one thing: pantomime. Yes, it’s that time of year again; when men dress as women, women play men and the audience gets a unique chance to poke fun at the cross dressers on stage.
All pantomime is descended from what could be loosely described as fairy tales. Adapted from Commedia dell’ Arte and British Music Hall, its roots can be traced as far back as the middle ages. Over the years, ACT has staged numerous pantomimes, including Cinderella, Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty, stopping short of Peter Pan as nobody is willing to brave the flying on ropes bit. This year it’s Jack and the Beanstalk (sponsored by the Early Learning Centre, Hilton and Cyprus Mail), where Good will once again triumph over Evil. Melanie Lovett plays the zany Vegetable Fairy, a proponent of Good. Her opposite number, Fleshcreep the Giant’s evil henchman, is played by John O’Donoghue, a truly experienced baddie! There’s a chorus comprised of those dedicated actors who appear on stage as courtiers, villagers, prisoners – whatever is needed to bring a scene to life. Then there are the dancers (from the Vattis Art of Dance & Musical Theatre), those children who have been busy perfecting their numbers since October.
For me, the panto season actually starts in August, when the nightmares about losing my lines and inadvertently appearing naked on stage begin! September means auditions, and after almost ten years, I still shake as I wait by the phone for the director’s call. October and November are occupied with learning lines, endless rehearsals and practising of songs in front of the kitchen fridge – the most critical of my electrical goods. And December is performance time, which we the cast enjoy just as much as the screaming audience, despite all the things that go wrong backstage. Dames who can only croak, puddles of rain in the dressing room, swords that fall apart just before a crucial fight – I’ve seen it all! This is pantomime from the other side, the sweat and toil that the cast and crew put into ensuring the seven performances are a triumph.
Jack and the Beanstalk is the story of a poor boy (Jack, me), who is forced to sell Daisy, his beloved cow, to feed his family. Along with the rest of the kingdom, they are terrified of the greedy Giant who lives in the sky. Jack’s mother is the Dame (Graham Thomas, perpetuating the cross dressing tradition) and his brother is the very Silly Billy (played by Jo Taylor). Enter the pompous King Satupon (Carlo Ioannou) and his daughter the feisty Princess Marigold (newcomer Rosie Christou), Jack’s sweetheart. But alas, the King won’t let the couple marry unless Jack (already crippled by the Giant’s taxes) can make a fortune. The only thing to do is sell Daisy the cow (Andrea Land and Emma Charalambous), so off Jack goes to market. On the way he meets an incognito Fleshcreep, who buys Daisy for five gold pieces. Thrilled, Jack rushes off to tell his mother the good news.
Alas, the evil Fleshcreep has turned the gold into worthless beans, and Jack is promptly disowned by his mother for such a foolish transaction. Heartbroken, she throws away the beans and collapses into the willing arms of the Head Gardener (played by our director, Mike Baulch). But fear not – this is panto, and Good must win the day. With a little help from the botanical Vegetable Fairy, the beans become a towering beanstalk…
In the meantime, the Giant has captured most of the villagers and soon, Princess Marigold is also spirited away to Cloudland by the evil Fleshcreep. Caged and helpless, with only the Giant’s Wife (Rosemary Reid) for company, she is forced to sing for the Giant. This is all too much for Jack (and the rest of the cast) who at last have a means of getting up to Cloudland. Can Jack and co rescue the Princess and the villagers, deal with the ghost, acquire the hen that lays the golden eggs and kill the Giant all in Act Two?
Well, after three months of rehearsals, fittings and everything else that goes into pantomime, I’d be surprised if it doesn’t turn out very well in the end! I’ll be there three hours early, nervously pacing the corridors in one direction while the Dame goes the other way (it can be a tight fit when we meet!). We may all come down with the flu, costumes may be safety-pinned together and the paint could still be wet, but the show must go on! The only thing missing is the most crucial members of the cast – the audience! For panto would be nothing without those willing to cheer on the goodies and boo the baddies. And without the help of some of the younger members of the audience, Princess Marigold might never be freed.
Jack and the Beanstalk by ACT. Performances on December 3 (3pm & 7.30pm), 4 (3pm), 9 (7.30pm), 10 (3pm & 7.30pm) and 11 (3pm). For the first weekend, it is ?3 for children aged 2-12 years, otherwise tickets are £5 (£6 for final performance). Tickets on sale from the Russian Cultural Centre, Alasia Street, Nicosia 4-6pm Monday to Friday from Monday, 21 November or from the ACT Business Manager on 22 329293.
