Hello, boys and girls! It’s Panto time again!
January 13th, 2012 | Published in Features, Life & Culture
As you read these lines, the collège students of the English section of the Cité Scolaire Internationale are busy, busy, busy, fine-tuning their seventh pantomime production, “Snow White.”
Rehearsals have been going on since September, and the young cast are absolutely bubbling over with excitement and anticipation. For many, this will be the first time that they appear on the school stage, in this exciting landmark event in the Grenoble anglophone calendar.
With a hand-knitted script full of local flavour, this year’s show looks set to be another success. The show is only a fortnight away, and the actors, dancers and singers are already starting to feel just a little bit of pressure …
We spoke to three members of the cast about their Panto experience: Melissa, who is in troisième, and who comes from a family with a long involvement in the C.S.I. Panto, Clara, also in troisième, who is performing for the first time this year, and Daniel, quatrième, the resident joker.
So, we asked them what made them want to get involved with the Panto.
Clara: I’d seen last year’s Pantomime, “Robin Hood”, and I thought it was awesome! And since I try to never turn an opportunity down, and I love singing, acting and dancing, I thought it would be fun to try it. I also love meeting new people, having fun and getting involved in the school’s activities.
Daniel: I’d been to see the school Panto lots of times and this year I wanted to take part because I thought it looked like really good fun.
Melissa: I joined this year’s Panto because I wanted to re-experience the fun that I had for these past two years in “Peter Pan” and “Robin Hood.” I also wanted to act and be on stage again as it is something I enjoy doing very much.
Grenoble Life: Which roles do you play in this year’s show?
Daniel: I play the part of Herman the Henchman, who is supposed to kill Snow White in the forest … but I’m a good guy, really!
Melissa: I play the part of Lord Montague (also known as Monty). He is the Prince’s trusted best friend and travelling companion. I am one of the members of the Panto’s double act.
Clara: I play the prince, Prince Caspian.
GL: How are rehearsals organised, and how much work does it take to put on a show like this?
Melissa: Rehearsals take place twice a week from 5pm until 6pm. We also rehearse some Saturday mornings from 8am until 12pm. Rehearsals are organised so that only the actors who are needed in the scenes that will be worked on need to come. That means that the Pantomime doesn’t take up too much of our week. Lots of work needs to be put in for the Pantomime but the key to it is dedication and we’re having fun at the same time so it doesn’t really feel like we are working.
Daniel: We rehearse two evenings a week after school and also sometimes on Saturday mornings from 8 till 12. It does take a lot of your spare time to rehearse for the show but it is great fun. We even get chocolate treats during the rehearsals on Saturdays.
GL: How were you chosen for your part?
Clara: I auditioned! I think I was chosen because of my acting and singing; the dancing part of the audition was terrible because I didn’t know the moves very well … At least I tried to be positive during the whole audition because I know that being optimistic was what the crew was looking for.
Daniel: There were auditions where we had to sing, dance and act out one scene. I think I was chosen because there were not many boys at the audition!
GL: Have you ever seen a “real” Panto? If so, how do your school productions compare?
Melissa: Yes I have seen many real pantomimes before in England. The school Pantomime is fairly similar to professional pantomimes. The biggest difference would be the stage/lighting/special effects. But our acting and talent are very similar!
Daniel: Lots of times. My English grandparents take me to see one every Christmas. I think the school productions are quite close to the real thing because they have all the ingredients of a good Panto, for example we throw out sweets to the audience, we sing and dance and make lots of jokes about school and Grenoble.
Clara: I have only seen last’s year’s Panto, but if I happen to come across a “real” Panto, I’ll definitely go and see it!
GL: How do you think the Panto is received in Grenoble? Does the French public “get” Panto? How do they react to the “audience participation” part of the show?
Melissa: The Panto is well received in Grenoble, most of the audience is part English and the Panto feeling is easily adopted. As for the audience participation adults are fine some small children are sometimes a bit slow to catch on but by the end of our show the audience is engulfed in Panto spirit (I hope!!)
Daniel: I think most of the audience are British!
Clara: I think that people from Grenoble are quite excited to experience something different from traditional French plays, because they can explore a different culture.
I’m French, and personally, when I went to see last year’s Panto, I thought the “audience participation” was a bit strange at first, but I quickly got into it. So that proves that the French public really does get Panto!
GL: What is your favourite aspect of the show, and Panto in general? The dodgy jokes? Is it the singing and dancing? The team experience with the whole cast and stage crew?
Melissa: I don’t have a favourite aspect really as I love all of it! The experience of putting on a show with a group of people you sometimes know very little who then become great friends is amazing, but I think that my favourite part must be when the audience claps at the end of the show. It is a great reward for all the hard work that has been put into place.
Clara: I really love everything about the Panto, but my favourite part is the singing and acting. To be performing in front of an audience is all new for me, and I’m normally a bit shy so it helps me get over that. I was also getting sick of singing to myself!
The team experience is also pretty cool, because I have made new friends and spoken to people that I would’ve never met if I hadn’t done the Panto.
Daniel: I really enjoy acting my role as Herman and I also enjoy the dance routines.
GL: What have you got out of your experience of the Panto so far?
Clara: So far, the Panto has been everything I had hoped it would be, and more! I have had the chance to discover what it feels like to “be in the spotlight”, to meet new and fantastic people and to just have tons of fun.
Daniel: At first I thought I would never be able to learn all my lines!! But now I realize that it’s not so difficult. I have also enjoyed making new friends.
Melissa: Lots and lots of fun really! A new fantastic bunch of friends and lots of lines to learn!
The Panto is a collège activity, but also involves a swarm of busy Lycée bees backstage, many of whom are previous Panto performers who just can’t get enough, and come back year after year to give a hand and relive the Panto experience, which is a delightful testimony of the bond that this kind of school activity can create within the school and amongst its pupils.
Here’s what one die-hard, backstage busy bee, Alba Besson, had to say about her Panto experience:
“I have loved being involved in the production of costumes, props and scenery for the school Pantos at every stage of the process: from the design, to the sourcing of materials to the construction and final preparation for performance. The vision of the ‘bigger picture’ needed to successfully bring together all these elements is such an exciting challenge. These moments are memories in the making.”
With a hefty sprinkling of full cast dance & song numbers, dozens of fantastic costumes, great scenery produced by the cast, and plenty of jokes, sparkle and glitter, this Panto is sure to entertain and delight. A show for all the family, and something quite unique in the Grenoble area.
The show is written, directed and produced by a group of volunteer parents, aided and abetted by two members of the school staff. If you are interested in getting involved in future productions you can contact the team at panto2012@orange.fr
The show runs from 25th January till 28th January, and tickets can be obtained from panto2012@orange.fr Hurry, though, as it is almost a sell-out!
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