Christmas pantomime to offer audience a space odyssey

CHENNAI: Little Theatre, one of the oldest theatre groups in Chennai, is back with its Christmas Pantomime, titled MIB-A Space Comet-y. Since 1995, the theatre group has been presenting the Pantomime. Marking their 27th Pantomime celebration, the group is all set to take the audience to ‘space’. “Our theme for this year’s Pantomime is MIB. We decided to go with this idea because the show is quite old, and everything is fun and fascinating about space,” says Rohini Rau, a trustee at Little Theatre, who will also operate the lights for the MIB show.

What is a Pantomime? It is a tradition in the United Kingdom and this is the only time in the year when people performing mime can talk on stage. “It is not like a regular play. There are certain rules to be followed. The central character is a woman, which will be played by a male on stage. There will be principal boy and girl which will be performed by females. We have a Panto animal, that interacts with the audience. The stories will be different within the same framework,” explains Rohini. She adds that nobody ever dies in a Pantomime and it emphasises the concept that in the end good wins over evil.

Pantomimes have loose adaptations from famous stories or fairy tales. The audience can expect a fusion of music, dance, and humour in MIB. “It is like a Disney movie. The show aims to cater to the entire family. The children can enjoy the story and adults will relate to the characters,” she says.

Rohini believes that the show will stand out because 30 adults and 50 children will be performing on stage in MIB. To give a local connection, they have incorporated news and happenings in the city.

—People can watch MIB - A Space Comet-y from December 14 to 17 at Anna Centenary Library Auditorium in Kotturpuram. Bookings for the show are now open.