Turning tradition on its head

Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Dickens may be rolling over in his grave, but audiences will more likely be rolling in the aisles as the Roving Players presents an irreverent panto version of his classic story, “A Christmas Carol.”

The Roving Players are becoming experts at presenting pantos, a zany comedic style in which a classic story is given a new twist. Or, many twists. The stories are also localized, with a steady flow of jokes about the local community and well-known locals, such as the town mayor, publican (tavern owner) and neighborhood busybody.

The Roving Players presentation, which opens Dec. 1 in Indianola, has been renamed “A Christmas Carol in Kingston, the Panto.”

This is the third panto the company has produced, under the direction of “panto-phile” Stu Smith. Previous shows were “Treasure Island” and “The Wizard of Oz.”

Smith said all the pantos come from the English village of Doddington, in Kent, and are the creation of Alistair Clinton, who also runs the village Web site.

Smith had a chance to meet Clinton last summer on a visit to England, and to tell him how popular his plays were in Kitsap County. “Treasure Island” had never been produced in the United States, making the Roving Players production in 2004 the United States debut.

“He was pleasantly surprised that panto worked over here — and it does,” Smith said.

Smith made the original adaptations to the script and the cast suggested other enhancements as rehearsals went along.

The play is set in modern times, with Sue Michaelis as a suit-wearing Ebeneezer Scrooge. Will Stewart is author Dickens, who acts as a narrator, but also gets into spirited arguments with Scrooge. Stewart also plays Euthagenia Slapan, a matronly member of the Kingston Revitalization Association who unsuccessfully petitions Scrooge for donations. Smith plays Slapan’s charity collecting partner, Edwina Tickle.

Jacob Marley, played by Christine Salo, still rattles his chains at Scrooge, but when the Ghost of Christmas Past, Helena Peterson, takes Scrooge to visit his past haunts, it’s a 1970’s disco.

There’s also an appearance by a character who is becoming a staple in the Roving Players pantos, Starsquatch, the local Sasquatch who runs a latte stand.

“You have to have a taste for this sort of silliness,” Smith said.

While the Roving Players normally stage their productions in the Indianola Clubhouse, that facility will not be available due to renovations. Instead, the Players will move up the road to Camp Indianola.

Smith said the camp lodge doesn’t have a stage, but that fits in with the spirit of panto. It is often produced in small local facilities that were not built to house theatrical productions. Adapting to the environment just adds to the charm of panto.

“Pantos are always done on a shoestring budget,” Smith said. “You just do them wherever you can.”

“A Christmas Carol in Kingston, the Panto” opens Dec. 1 and plays weekends through Dec. 16. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, plus a 3 p.m. matinee Dec. 3.

There is a dinner show Dec. 9 with seating at 6 p.m. and a brunch show Dec. 10 with seating at 12:30 p.m., show at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 adults, $8 seniors and children; $25 adults, $23 seniors and children for the dinner or brunch shows. Tickets are available at the Indianola Country Store, Peninsula Video in Kingston, Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo, the Kitsap Mall information booth in Silverdale and online at www.rovingplayers.org.

To reach Camp Indianola, in Indianola turn left from Indianola Road onto NE Shore Drive. Follow NE Shore Drive as the pavement ends and it makes a left turn. The camp is at the end of the road, approximately a mile and a half from the intersection with Indianola Road.