Kincardine Theatre Guild's next show features 23 youth, including newcomer Fiona Miller

The Kincardine Theatre Guild's “Peter Pan, the Pantomine,” is an ambitious project, with over half the cast under the age of 18, including newcomer Fiona Miller.

 

The 16-year-old from Port Elgin plays the parts of Tiger Lily and Peter Pan's Shadow in the play and is having a great time.

 

“It's a lot of fun,” she says, “and I'm enjoying it. There are a lot of firsts for me, with the singing and dancing, and playing the part of a flirt.”

 

The Grade 11 student at Saugeen District Secondary School in Port Elgin has not yet taken drama in high school but had seen a couple of Kincardine Theatre Guild plays and wanted to try out.

 

“There is no theatre troupe in Port Elgin and I've always wanted to be on stage,” says Fiona. “I wasn't sure what to expect but it's been great.”

 

She is the daughter of Rachel Williams and Stephen Miller, and has a younger sister, Jamie.

 

Meanwhile, the cast of 40 and crew of 25, including 23 youth, is gearing up for opening night, says director Shirley Bieman. “We have some of the best kids in town. They learn so quickly and they are immensely talented."

 

Bieman has directed a pantomine before, and is being assisted by Bonnie Bryan, who adapted the play, and Alanna Boucher. The show is produced by Jennifer Neil.

 

The pantomine is a form of musical theatre designed for family entertainment. This type of performance is based on a well-known fairytale which is then embellished with slapstick, topical humour, dialogue, dancing, singing and audience participation.

 

Traditionally, every pantomime is hosted by a character called the 'Dame' and in this show, Matt Harvey plays Miss Smee. The Dame is always played by a man, who is dressed very outrageously and totally unbelievably as a woman. Her role is to interact with the audience, providing laughs and encouraging people to shout out certain phrases as the action continues.

 

Throw in a villain, (Captain Hook, played by John Low), some zany sidekicks, (Line, played by Dylan Trahan and Sinker, played by Barry Neilson) a loveable protagonist, (Peter Pan, played by Kathryn Low) and often a four-legged character (Crocodile, played by Sid Duggan) and between them all, the original fairytale morphs into a fun-filled show for the whole family.

 

"Peter Pan, The Pantomine" opens Nov. 19, at 8 p.m., at the Kincardine Arts Centre. The play runs a total of 11 performances over three weekends, until Dec. 5, with four matinees. There will be a Gala Party, Saturday, Nov. 21, where audience members may meet and greet the cast while enjoying some snacks.

 

Tickets are $20 each (an extra $5 for the gala), available at J'Adorn in downtown Kincardine or by calling the box office at 519-396-9000.