November 2017

Sinbad The Pirates and The Dinosaur [NWR]

By Staff Reporter

November 29, 2017
[ click to read at their site]

Holiday pantomime comes to New West

The Royal Canadian Theatre Company brings Ellie King's Sinbad, The Pirates and The Dinosaur to the Massey Theatre

Sinbad, The Pirates and The Dinosaur

Audiences can expect all the hilarity of a traditional British pantomime when Ellie King’s Sinbad, The Pirates and The Dinosaur hits the Massey Theatre stage. It’s traditional British pantomime at its rollicking, rambunctious best – and it’s coming soon to a stage near you.

The Royal Canadian Theatre Company is bringing its holiday panto, Ellie King’s Sinbad, The Pirates and The Dinosaur, to the Massey Theatre stage. The play tells the tale of Sinbad, who has a treasure map but no money to rent a ship or pay a crew. Enter the wicked Queen Anne Bonney, who has gold to spare and wants that treasure map. But the Queen has reckoned without Princess Serena, the anything-but-serene little spitfire.

“As the ship sails towards its destination, the crazy crew deals with mutiny, icebergs and a superfluity of bubbles,” a press release says. “And tropical islands are lovely, even if they might possibly have the odd dinosaur or two lurking around. … Does it all end well? Do our heroes live happily ever after? Will the evil Old Man of the Sea ever get anyone to pull his finger?”

Audiences can expect the fun to unfold in the truest British tradition, with the pantomime Dame, slapstick, music, dance, magic and a collection of corny old jokes.

It’s an original script by King, the artistic director of the Royal Canadian Theatre Company who was previously the founding artistic director of the former Burr Theatre in New Westminster. The music for the production was written by King and her husband, musician Geoff King.

The show starts its run at the Surrey Arts Centre, where it’s in preview Dec. 14 and onstage from Dec. 15 to 26. Its Surrey run includes a special “relaxed performance” on Dec. 21, designed to be sensitive to the needs of audience members with sensory conditions, those on the autism spectrum or others who can benefit from a less intense and more relaxed environment. It then moves to the ACT Theatre in Maple Ridge Dec. 29 to 31, before coming to New Westminster to end its run. The Jan. 5 show is a dress preview at 7:30 p.m. and the Jan. 6 show is a 3:30 p.m. matinee.

More Press:

Photos included, if any, originally supplied by The Royal Canadian Theatre Company unless credited to the specific publication.

Articles quoted with full attribution under fair use doctrine. The link to the original publication may be deleted by the original publisher. This is beyond the control of RCTC.

Photo Credit:
RCTC

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Sinbad, The Pirate and The Dinosaur [NWR]

By Staff Reporter

November 29, 2017
[ click to read at their site]

Holiday pantomime comes to New West

Royal Canadian Theatre Company brings Ellie King's Sinbad, The Pirates and The Dinosaur to the Massey Theatre

It’s traditional British pantomime at its rollicking, rambunctious best – and it’s coming soon to a stage near you. The Royal Canadian Theatre Company is bringing its holiday panto, Ellie King’s Sinbad, The Pirates and The Dinosaur, to the Massey Theatre stage on Jan. 5 and 6. The play tells the tale of Sinbad, who has a treasure map but no money to rent a ship or pay a crew. Enter the wicked Queen Anne Bonney, who has gold to spare and wants that treasure map. But the Queen has reckoned without Princess Serena, the anything-but-serene little spitfire.

“As the ship sails towards its destination, the crazy crew deals with mutiny, icebergs and a superfluity of bubbles,” a press release says. “And tropical islands are lovely, even if they might possibly have the odd dinosaur or two lurking around. … Does it all end well? Do our heroes live happily ever after? Will the evil Old Man of the Sea ever get anyone to pull his finger?”

Audiences can expect the fun to unfold in the truest British tradition, with the pantomime Dame, slapstick, music, dance, magic and a collection of corny old jokes. It’s an original script by King, the artistic director of the Royal Canadian Theatre Company who was previously the founding artistic director of the former Burr Theatre in New Westminster. The music for the production was written by King and her husband, musician Geoff King.

The show starts its run at the Surrey Arts Centre, where it’s in preview Dec. 14 and onstage from Dec. 15 to 26. Its Surrey run includes a special “relaxed performance” on Dec. 21, designed to be sensitive to the needs of audience members with sensory conditions, those on the autism spectrum or others who can benefit from a less intense and more relaxed environment. It then moves to the ACT Theatre in Maple Ridge Dec. 29 to 31, before coming to New Westminster to end its run.

More Press:

Photos included, if any, originally supplied by The Royal Canadian Theatre Company unless credited to the specific publication.

Articles quoted with full attribution under fair use doctrine. The link to the original publication may be deleted by the original publisher. This is beyond the control of RCTC.

Photo Credit:
RCTC

Sinbad, The Pirate and The Dinosaur [NWR] Read More »

Sinbad, The Pirate and The Dinosaur [PAN]

By Tom Zillich

November 15, 2017
[ click to read at their site]

‘Relaxed performance’ of panto a first for Surrey, theatre company says

Special night Dec. 21 for staging of ‘Sinbad, the Pirate and the Dinosaur’

SURREY — A so-called “relaxed” performance of a theatre production comes to Surrey Arts Centre next month when Royal Canadian Theatre Company stages its seasonal panto there.

The show on Thursday, Dec. 21 is designed for those with intellectual, learning and other sensory and communication disorders, according to Ellie King, who wrote Sinbad, the Pirate and the Dinosaur and is the Surrey-based company’s managing artistic director.

King, a Langley resident, says it’s sometimes difficult to strike a balance between making live theatre accessible to all, and yet still be sensitive to the issue of potentially disturbing other audience members. “This unfortunately often results in some members of our community not being able to attend live theatre,” she says. A “relaxed performance” – sometimes called “sensory friendly performances” or “extra live” performances – “is intended specifically to be sensitive to, and accepting of audience members who may benefit from a more relaxed environment, including (but not limited to) those with autistic spectrum conditions, anyone with sensory and communication disorders or learning disabled people,” according to a post on the company’s website.

That means sound and lighting cues are adjusted to be less startling or intense, she said. Exiting and entering the auditorium is allowed at any time, auditorium lights are never fully turned off, and the cast comes on stage before the performance to explain what’s about to happen. Also, audience noise, movement and even the use of phones or other “fidget devices” are tolerated.

“Since being pioneered by Polka Theatre, a children’s theatre in London, in 2009, relaxed performances have spread around Britain and to the United States, and are now arriving in Canada,” King said. “We are bringing the first ever Relaxed Performance outside of Vancouver to the Surrey Arts Centre during the run of Sinbad,” she added. “RCTC, partnering with the City of Surrey, is proud to lead the way in Surrey with this wonderful initiative and is hoping to expand the programme for their next season, 2018/19.” Surrey Arts Centre has plenty of parking and is highly wheelchair accessible, King noted.

The company describes Sinbad, the Pirate and the Dinosaur as “a rollicking adventure on the high seas with pirates, treasure, dinosaurs, the Queen of the Pirates, an annoying princess, battles and all your panto favourites. Magical, musical, full of corny old jokes – perfect family fun!”

More Press:

Photos included, if any, originally supplied by The Royal Canadian Theatre Company unless credited to the specific publication.

Articles quoted with full attribution under fair use doctrine. The link to the original publication may be deleted by the original publisher. This is beyond the control of RCTC.

Photo Credit:
RCTC

Sinbad, The Pirate and The Dinosaur [PAN] Read More »