Saturday 11 January 2014

Something Very Fishy Going On Here

A few days before Christmas we made our annual family pilgrimage to downtown Toronto to see the Pantomime. Not such a large family group this year. Callum was the only child in attendance, as Isaac couldn't be there, and the twins are still too little.
The annual Christmas Pantomime is a time honoured tradition in Britain, usually vaguely following the theme of a nursery story or nursery rhyme. Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a visit to the Panto.


This year's offering was "The Little Mermaid - Ontario's O-FISH-AL Family Musical"..... definitely not the sweet Walt Disney version but something far more fun. Lots of audience participation, booing the baddies, cheering the goodies, shouting warnings... "Behind you! Behind you!" No need to keep the kids quiet in this production.

Ross Petty took the form of the evil fish monster Ogopogo who lives at the bottom of Lake Ontario... and he certainly makes a very believable bad guy. He was almost BOOOOed off the stage and he loved every minute. Ogopogo wanted to develop a Marineland Casino and nightclub featuring all the mermaids, and was eventually defeated by Panto regular Dame Plumbum von Botox, the mer-maiden aunt of the Little Mermaid herself, and the underwater residents of the lake, including Shelly the Shrimp, Carl the Clownfish and Sponge-Bill-Triangle-Pants.



Lots of slapstick belly laughs for the kids, lots of slightly off-colour references to keep the adults laughing. Lots of dancing, singing, colourful costumes, talented comedy.
Will we go again? "Holy Carp!" You bet we will, I can hardly wait till next year!

8 comments:

  1. Sounds and looks like a lot of fun. Pretty colourful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds like GREAT GREAT Fun! And Looks like a Blast, too!
    I was looking at Callum's Calendar and in a minute and a half---He Will Be 6 years old!!!! Where has the time gone, my dear dear?

    ReplyDelete
  3. HAHAHA! Laughter for all levels of the audience is a sign of good comedy. YAY for those who can do it well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This sounds like a lot of fun, especially when there is something for everyone.
    You asked what I use the lemons for.
    sliced lemon in water...love the little bit of zip.
    lemon chicken
    lemonade
    and a buttermilk lemon custard tart...yummy.
    Meyer lemons smell so sweet. they are not puckery like the kind bought in the grocery store.
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  5. Now I understand Pantomime is different from mime I have known. Nice to know seeing Pantomime at the Christmastime is a time-honored tradition in Britain and you have observed the tradition as a family. It’s a nice way to meet Christmas and finish the year with good laughs. Wish you and your family a year of peace, good health, and pleasant surprises.

    Yoko

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds like fun! The colours are so appreciated this time of year!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds wonderful, and the villain certainly looks like a good one!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I wish Panto was a tradition down here. It seems like such a wonderful fun thing.

    ReplyDelete

All comments welcome.... unless your name is Anonymous..