It’s a familiar tale with a Winnipeg twist: evicted from their hut in downtown Winnipeg, two children go off looking for a rich family to live with, all while avoiding their evil landlord.
That’s the premise of Hansel and Gretel in Portage Place: A Merry Crip-Mas Panto being presented this weekend by Sick and Twisted Theatre. It’s the second annual pantomime production being presented by the company, which aims to provide performance opportunities to local artists with disabilities.
Theresa Thomson, who serves as the artistic producer for Sick and Twisted Theatre, also has a starring role as Dame Soul Tess Shampers, a type of narrator role in the pantomime tradition of English theatre. “It is a dream for me to get to be the Dame,” Thomson said in a conversation with Nolan Kehler on Morning Light. “I never, ever thought that I would get to dress up in drag and have so much fun with the show, and I do!”
The fun Thomson describes is infectious for the entire cast, including Tyler Sneezby, who portrays the evil landlord in the production. “In the tradition of panto, it’s very over-the-top and big, broad acting. Nothing is nuanced. Nothing is subtle. Everything is big.”
Sneezby, who is legally blind, had never acted in a stage production until Sick and Twisted Theatre approached him with the opportunity. “It’s terrifying and thrilling,” he said of his first turn at acting. “Most of all, I’m just in awe of the rest of the performers, watching them do what they do and learning from them.”
Thomson notes that the pantomime genre is perfect for Sick and Twisted Theatre’s mission in shining a spotlight on performers like Sneezby. “There’s a subversiveness that I think really appeals,” she says, noting the slightly naughty humour that balances with the family-friendly and accessible atmosphere. “It’s like Rocky Horror Picture Show for kids.”
Sick and Twisted Theatre has done a lot to ensure that the performance is accessible for all members of the community, from making masks mandatory at certain performances to having live audio description available. For Emily King, who plays the role of Hansel in the production, these tools help the performances to shine even brighter. “There’s something about having multiple modes of communication and knowing that your ensemble is even greater than the people that were cast as actors. The audio describers are a part of the show. ASL interpreters are part of the show. It expands the possibility of the story.”
Hansel and Gretel in Portage Place: A Merry Crip-Mas Panto runs until December 22 at the Colin Jackson Theatre at the Prairie Theatre Exchange in Portage Place. Tickets and more information can be found at Sick and Twisted Theatre’s website.
