CSI Panto 2008-2009

Hélène Perrin-Gouron is part of the team that puts on the annual pantomime with students at Cité Scolaire Internationale (CSI). She talked to Grenoble Life about costumes, props, music and risqué double-entendre …

Grenoble Life: What is your role in the production of the pantomime at CSI and how long you have been doing it?

Hélène Perrin-Gouron: It’s my third panto with the CSI. Yet this program has existed for five or six years. I’m currently managing the rehearsals. Mandy Besson, Gregg West and I are co-ordinating the show, each one of us in charge of a specific area. We’re also helped by a crew of about 15 people on a regular basis. Then we get extra help when we get closer to the performances. I’d say that a total of around 40 people (adults and teens, though not including the actors themselves) will have worked on the panto by the time it gets on stage for the shows.

GL: For the benefit of non-British readers, what is a pantomime?

Hélène: Ha! Someone burst out laughing once when I said that I was doing a pantomime in English. Of course, the thought was that a pantomime is a mime, therefore silent. Actually, it used to be; but over the years, it turned into a ‘humorous musical’.

Pantomimes are very much a British theatrical genre, usually performed around Christmas, and almost always based on long-established children’s stories. It also has conventions: the leading female character is usually played by a man, there’s also risqué double-entendre, well-known songs with re-written lyrics, an actor in an animal costume and there are various kinds of interactions with the public. This means that we could be throwing out candies to you … [laughs]

GL: What is this year’s pantomime? When and where does it take place?

Hélène: The students of the Junior High English Section of the Cité Scolaire Internationale of Grenoble will be performing Peter Pan. The first show will be on January 20^th, 2010, in Salle polyvalente at the CSI. We’ll hold five performances there.

GL: How is the script chosen?

Hélène: The previous years, Gregg West and Mandy Besson edited existing scripts so that each individual on stage would have a moment. This year, with the help of two other adults, Mandy wrote a script from scratch! I’m dying to talk to you about my favourite moments but then, I would spoil it for you if I did!!!

GL: How are the actors chosen?

Hélène: Thanks to the quality it’s reached, the CSI panto seems to have turned into a tradition. Its success has brought more and more students to the auditions. They are cast accordingly to their strong points knowing that we need actors, dancers and/or singers. This year, we have a cast of 41 students on stage, aged from 11 to 14.

GL: For how long do rehearsals take place - there must be a lot of preparation?

Hélène: Not at all! [wink] Yes, it’s colossal work. First there is the script to find and either edit, or write, and do the blocking too. Then we have auditions in June, and in September, rehearsals start. Not only do the students have ‘regular’ rehearsals twice a week, but they also have song and dance rehearsals. (Just to give you a hint of what’s hiding behind this little group of words ‘dance rehearsal’: 17 choreographies were created this year by Isabelle Lietar.) We’ve got to get lyrics changed, find the pieces of music we need, record the soundtrack, imagine and make costumes, list and find props, compose and paint the scenery, create an ambience with lights, and finally organize the publicity and ticketing. There’s work during the shows too …

GL: Tell us a little about your background and how you became involved with the international school panto?

Hélène: I did some theater when I was in the US. And then … life! For years, I was busy with my job as a scriptwriter for film and tv. No time for theater, which I was missing. The CSI panto is always looking for passionate committed people so … I guess we were all lucky there!

GL: How do the French, or even non-British audience members, react to the panto – do they not think it’s a little unusual!?

Hélène: Pantos certainly are unusual, which may be why one gets caught up by the ambience though he/she must experience some sort of a culture shock. In fact, last year, when I was watching a Monty Python film, I suddenly realized how incredible it was that these guys were so obviously panto-raised and the world does not know about it!

GL: How can we find out more and get tickets for this year’s panto?

Hélène: Our posters and program will be ready mid-November and the ticketing will start right away. We’ll have a show at 2.30pm on Wednesday, January 20^th. On the 21^st and the 22^nd, shows will be at 7.30pm. And on Saturday, January 23^rd, we’ll have a show at 10am and a show at 7.30pm. Tickets are six euros for adults, from age 4–18 tickets are three euros and children under four come in for free. Most performances sold out last year so we highly recommend that you make reservations at gregg.west (at) ac-grenoble.fr, starting now!

Related Posts:

• English Talk Radio – March 10
• Upstage – outstanding English theatre in Grenoble since 1993
• Cité Scolaire Internationale’s Music Club
• My fruitless efforts to change national education
• One Monday at Montessori International (part III)