The nights are darker, the weather is colder and commercial Christmas is well and truly in swing as the illuminations light up Princes Street and the countdown to the festivities speeds up.
With all the traditions, Panto is a must and whether you’re a novice or veteran to the great theatrical tradition, you’ll be in safe hands with Balerno Theatre Company who present ‘Alice in Pantoland’ at the Church Hill Theatre.
Following many successful Christmas shows before them, including last year’s praised ‘Cinderella in Pantoland’, Balerno presents a family pantomime in the traditional style, showcasing a brand new script stuffed with silliness and brimming with song and dance numbers from across the decades.
Audiences will be taken back down the rabbit hole, this time ending up in a strange new land where Alice meets a cast of other pantomime characters and reunites with the Mad Hatter, White Rabbit and other Wonderland friends to once again defeat the evil Queen of Hearts.
Writer of the script and also taking up the role of Director, Sheryn Ali says “Writing another original script has allowed us to build on our success from previous years to make the most of the talents in the company, stretch our use of technology and even get some of our cast flying! We can’t wait for our audiences to fall down the rabbit hole with us into the ridiculousness of panto once again.”
The company has also increased their community involvement, welcoming a 59 strong cast, with alternating performance days for the kids, as well as a collaboration with Dean Park Primary School to perform one school-specific show on the Thursday matinee.
Promising to have some (literally) soaring moments, a good time is guaranteed as local talent showcase pleasingly old-school pantomime business with comedy alongside a great deal of heart to warm even the most Grinch-esque members of the family.
Don’t be late like the White Rabbit - grab a ticket for a fun-filled family night sure to get your toes tapping, hands clapping and have you singing and shouting along!
‘Alice in Pantoland’ will be performed at the Church Hill Theatre, Wednesday 6 to Saturday 9 December at 7.30pm. Friday and Saturday matinee performances at 2.30pm.
Tickets - £16.50 available at https://www.balernotheatrecompany.co.uk/
Minimum age recommended: Two years old