By Natalie Marynowski and Pema Tsering
The classic tale of the missing glass slipper is being brought to life this week by actors and dancers of the Ryerson Theatre School. Written by Kate Hawley and directed by Peggy Shannon, this musical production of British pantomime combines both a dirty, naughty script and kid-friendly characters, making the show enjoyable for the whole family.
“What’s great about this is it’s truly fun for guys and girls, kids and adults,” said Shannon. “There’s a lot of naughty, witty humour that slides over the kids heads and the adults love it.”
The production includes a cast of third- and fourth-year dancers as well as third- and fourth-year actors who have been working together for the past three and a half weeks.
The lead role of Cinderella will be portrayed in this year’s production by fourth-year acting student Megan Webster, who says she has tried to put her own twist on the character.
“Everyone wants to be a Disney princess,” said Webster. “I wouldn’t describe myself as a very girly person so I think I bring a lot of tougher qualities, at the same time playing her as truthful as I can.”
The character of Little Bo Peep is also included in this production of Cinderella, and is played this year by fourth-year acting student Nicole Hrgetic.
“It is so much more than just a kids’ show,” said Hrgetic.
“You don’t think when you come to the show that you’ll be yelling at the end but you just can’t help it.”
Shannon has directed the production of Cinderella numerous times in the United States, which is why she decided to bring it to Ryerson.
“It’s a well-written script with a beautiful score as well as the traditional elements of a British pantomime, which makes it funny and interactive,” said Shannon.
The show will be performed at the Ryerson Theatre and promises to include audience participation, especially during the search for the owner of the glass slipper.
The show runs from Nov. 25-28 at 6 p.m., Nov. 29 at 2 and 7 p.m. and Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online.
This is a joint byline.
Ryersonian staff are responsible for the news website edited and produced by final-year undergraduate and graduate journalism students at Ryerson University.
It features all the content from the weekly campus newspaper, The Ryersonian, and distributes news and online multimedia, including video newscasts from RyersonianTV.
Ryersonian.ca also provides videos, images, and other interactive material in partnership with the School of Journalism.