This year’s East Van Panto puts Robin Hood front and centre on Commercial Drive.
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East Van Panto: Robin Hood
When: Nov. 20 to Jan. 5, various times
Where: York Theatre, 639 Commercial Dr.
The East Van Panto turns 12 this year and Theatre Replacement is giving no less a legend than Robin Hood the panto treatment this holiday season.
Following last year’s hit take on Beauty And The Beast, Jivesh Parasgram and Christine Quintana are back as co-playwrights with longtime musical director and composer Veda Hille delivering the musical mayhem. Helming the whole thing is director Anita Rochon, tasked with bringing audiences “East Van’s wackiest all-ages tradition.”
Naturally, this isn’t your standard take on the story of the hero who robs from the rich and gives to the poor. Expect some very different characters to turn up and more than a few of the better-knowns to take the tale off entirely.
The story begins on a beautiful day at Trout Lake for Robin Hood and the Merry-Thems, which turns foul when the Sheriff privatizes the park, and everyone including the birds and bees has to pay a user fee. On a quest to set things right, the team will be aided by a Robobrarian, joined by a Hedgehog and more. Ultimately, the crew will try to steal back their neighbourhood from the powerful and privileged. But will they succeed?
Here are five things to know about this year’s production.
1 — Why Robin Hood? “The East Van Panto has always diverted from the tradition to offer something more complex, nuanced and specific to our community,” said Quintana. “At a moment when things are so unequal and unfair in our city, Robin Hood seemed perfect. It’s also something that even kids can understand — when you have 30 apples and 30 people, it is fair to give everyone an apple even as the adults think it’s okay for one person to have 20 and the rest can share what’s left.”
2 — Robin Hood Australian style: Sydney actor Hayley Sullivan makes her panto debut in the titular role. “I guess Ned Kelly would be the closest thing Australia has to Robin Hood, depending on the version of the story,” said Sullivan. “If I didn’t get a role written for an Australian, I think I probably would have packed my bags and gone home. When I moved here, I always heard so much about the East Van Panto.”
4 — Better than Dancing Sushi: “Every year is about upping the panto ante, and the design team has really gone for it this time,” said Quintana. “Last year, we asked for dancing sushis and we got them. So this year we have some even more sumptuous visual feasts coming at you. Particularly in act two.”
5 — Eight actors, three kids and two musicians: “The panto kids are not child actors like so many little Shirley Temples, but more like your nieces, nephews and the kids next door,” said Quintana. “They will do more or less what they are asked to do as well as some other, wonderful, unscripted madness. It’s always a pleasure to be drawn into their energy.”
“I have not worked with children before and it’s so brilliant to have them in the room,” said Sullivan. “It’s instantly more interesting than working with someone who does exactly what they’ve been told to do.”