Staging a little festive pandemonium

Childhood memories of going to see a pantomime at Christmas has inspired Dunedin’s Globe to tackle the genre for the first time. Rebecca Fox talks to director Lynne Keene and actress Jen Hughson.

LYNNE KEENE’S fascination with Christmas pantomimes — the fairytales, humour, the role reversal, and melodrama — has stayed with her.

‘‘As an exPom myself, as a kid that is how I was introduced to the theatre. Going to pantomimes at Christmas in the United Kingdom when it’s cold and everyone needs a cheerup.

‘‘I’m fascinated by them, always have been.’’

So this year she suggested to the Globe that they do one and after looking at some options came up with Cinders, by David Tristram, based of course on the fairytale of Cinderella.

‘‘As far as I’m aware the Globe hasn’t attempted one before.’’

Keene was ‘‘immediately taken’’ by Tristram’s version of the Cinderella story, which he wrote to help his local Shropshire drama club, which needed to raise funds for a leaky roof.

‘‘You’ll be aware the Globe replaced its roof recently.’’

It was also a production which needed to be done as economically as possible — another trait required by the Globe.

The script really appealed to its star, ‘‘Cinders’’, played by Jen

❛ As an exPom myself, as a kid that is how I was introduced to the theatre. Going to pantomimes at Christmas in the United Kingdom when it’s cold and everyone needs a cheerup. I’m fascinated by them,

always have been

Director Lynne Keene

Hughson.

‘‘When I read it for the first time I was cackling away to myself. I couldn’t keep a straight face and when I got to the hairy godmother I lost it.’’

Cinders has the required role reversal in it, the ‘‘ugly sisters’’ played by men and the prince by a woman. The narrator, the ‘‘hairy godmother’’, is also a bloke.

‘‘I’m the only ‘normal’ one.’’ While some people question the role reversal these days, says Keene, she believes it is important to follow the tradition.

‘‘Away back in Tudor times they had the Feast of the Fools and in the Roman Times there was the Festival of Servants.’’