There may not be a Gabriola Players panto staged live this year, but we didn’t want kids of all ages left out of our season. So, we’ve booked the Rollo Centre for the first three Sundays in December for screenings of popular Robin Bailes pantos past.
In 2014 we staged the world premiere of Robin’s Will Shakespeare The Panto, in which Will Shakespeare (Alex Dewar) is making a name for himself as both a playwright and a poet, but has no permanent home for his theatre company. When Queen Elizabeth (Jenn Feenan) announces a competition to decide who will manage the new Globe Theatre, he is confident he can win. But an evil earl, Edward DeVere (Joe DiCara), has other plans for the theatre – and the queen!
The strong cast included Aleksandra Brzozowski as Rosie, the lovelorn heroine, Paul O’Sullivan, John Gooding, Nadine Mourao as members of Will’s troupe and Lesley Hazeldine as the dame.
Audiences loved this show, which even merited an editorial in the Sounder.
Here’s a little taster to remind you if you saw it nine years (or make it clear if you didn’t) just how much fun this panto is.
In Ali Baba, staged in 2019, the devilish Desert Wolf (Joe DiCara) and his band of thieves (BJ Godson, Paul O’Sullivan, Tom Radcliffe and Jean Wyenberg) are causing havoc in Baghdad. Ali Baba (Ray Appel) is determined, with the help of Fatima (Wendy Phillips) and Mustapha (Donna Deacon) to unmask the villain and thus win the hand of the beautiful Princess Bebbi (Jasmine Ginn) – much to the dismay of his best friend – who’d like to be more – Margiana (Adrienne Muscat). But the source of the problem might be closer to home than Ali suspects: his Uncle Kasim is suspiciously wealthy, and he also has his eye on the Princess.
Another stellar cast in a popular panto, which includes one scene described by a lifelong theatregoer as the funniest thing he’d ever seen on stage
Don’t miss out on the fun!
An evening screening this time and a chance to enjoy again the romance and hilarity of what many described as “the best panto ever” – our 2022 production of our fifth and final Robin Bailes panto, Cinderella.
Newcomers Katie MacLean and Benjamin Sams wowed as Cinderella and her Prince. A female villain this time (Helen Shilladay) with two nasty daughters (John Gooding and Neil Shilladay). Buttons (Donna Deacon) lost Cinderella but found love with Evie (Christine McKim). Love was also in the air for the baron (Tom Radcliffe) and the fairy godmother (Wendy Phillips). All ably supported by Kerry Woodrow as Dandini, BJ Godson as Paige, Marshall Mangan as the “dancing king” and the ladies in blue: Bronwyn Cameron, Hilary Farmer, Jenn Feenan and Dianne Holm.
ROLLO CENTRE
December 3 and 10 screenings will begin at the Rollo at 2pm.
December 17 screening will begin at 7pm.
Tickets $5*
Please note that, for the safety of all, audience members will be required to wear masks.
* Gabriola Players will be donating 50% of the proceeds to the PEOPLE FOR A HEALTHY COMMUNITY Christmas fund for Gabriola families.