The Cultch presents Theatre Replacement's East Van Panto: Robin Hood, November 20 to January 5
In annual holiday show directed by Anita Rochon, Robin Hood must save East Van from the rich and powerful when all city parks are suddenly privatized
SPONSORED POST BY The Cultch
East Van Panto: Robin Hood. Photo by Emily Cooper
The Cultch and Theatre Replacement announce the return of East Van Panto for a 12th season with East Van Panto: Robin Hood, which takes place at the York Theatre from November 20 to January 5, 2025.
It’s a beautiful day in Trout Lake for Robin Hood and the Merry-Thems—at least, it should have been. Alas, the naughty Sheriff has other plans, as all the parks in the city have been privatized. Now everyone has to pay to use the park—including the birds and animals. A trip to the library to read up on their rights leads Robin and friends on a grand adventure to invade Britannia, retrieve the keys to the city’s public amenities, and try to steal back the neighbourhood from the rich and powerful.
“The experiment of the East Van Panto is to take a classic story—and one that perhaps has some problematic things about it—and turn it on its head by placing it smack dab in the East Van community,” states Theatre Replacement’s artistic director Maiko Yamamoto in a release. “That always leads to a lot of fun, silly antics.”
Since its inception in 2013, Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto has become a cherished holiday tradition for Vancouver audiences, filling the York Theatre with its playful and localized retellings of classic tales. Director Anita Rochon and writing duo Jivesh Parasram and Christine Quintana (the team that created last year’s production East Van Panto: Beauty and the Beast) return this season to helm Robin Hood.
Hayley Sullivan as the titular character in East Van Panto: Robin Hood. Photo by Emily Cooper
Many of the cast members from Beauty and the Beast are also returning for Robin Hood. Jason Sakaki takes on this year’s antagonist, Prince Ken. Munish Sharma is Robin’s loyal sidekick, Little Jaan, and audience favourites Steffanie Davis and Mark Chavez are also back. Joining these returning cast members as the titular character Robin is Hayley Sullivan, who makes their Panto debut this season.
As always, local legend Veda Hille is contributing her signature music parodies, transforming everything from rock ballads to opera classics into witty, unforgettable tunes. Amanda Testini brings her playful choreography to the stage once again, and all of the designers from last year are returning: costumes by Alaia Hamer, scenic illustrations by Cindy Mochizuki, set design by Lauchlin Johnston, lighting design by Sophie Tang, and sound design by Brad Danyluk. Together, this incredibly talented team is bringing the timeless legend of Robin Hood into modern-day East Van.
Theatre Replacement is grounded in the creation of original, experimental, and intercultural performance works. Since the company’s beginnings, it has infused all of its projects with an ethos of co-existence. Each new work is built through a highly collaborative process over an extended period, and foregrounds diverse artists.
Since 1973, The Cultch has been one of Vancouver’s most diverse and innovative arts and cultural hubs. The organization offers dynamic contemporary programming in theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts, bringing world-class presentations to thousands of citizens each year.
For tickets to East Van Panto: Robin Hood and more information, visit The Cultch.
Post sponsored by The Cultch.
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