Cochrane Vision Theatre will mount a rollicking British pantomime for its holiday musical this year.
Goody Two Shoes debuts this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Cochrane RancheHouse Theatre and runs weekends until Dec. 11, including two Sunday 2 p.m. matinees.
Director Anita McDonald said the family-friendly musical is based on a fairytale from the 1800s and centres on a “sweet innocent girl that wants to do good by everyone.” Vision Theatre’s interpretation of the story involves a twist when main character Goody finds a pair of magic shoes in the forest.
“I wanted to pick something that people didn’t know by heart,” McDonald said of the unique production choice.
A British pantomime is defined as “theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, that involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas.”
McDonald said the entertaining genre of theatre also relies on audience interaction for its success – and it’s a big part of the fun of the evening.
“We break that fourth wall. The actors actually come right out and talk to the audience,” she said, adding the cast is made up of 33 Cochrane performers from seven to 67 years old.
“We encourage the audience to cheer for the good guys and boo for the bad guys.”
Tickets for Goody Two Shoes are available for all six shows at www.cochranevisiontheatre.com. Prices are $10 for showgoers under 16 years old and $15 for anyone over 16.
