The British Community Council (BCC) is pleased to announce
that this year’s pantomime is to be Cinderella, a musical
extravaganza in the tradition of British holiday pantomime that
is sure to delight young and old alike.
For many years the BCC has staged a pantomime which takes
place at the beginning of the Christmas season providing an
opportunity for people to enjoy a traditional form of British
theatre. Its audiences are generally made up of a mixture of
Turkish and expatriate families living in Istanbul. Although all
the songs and dialogue are in English, the strong story line,
bright costumes and many songs and dances enable the show to be
easily followed and enjoyed by both English and non-English
speakers.
It is a holiday pantomime in the tradition of dozens of other
retellings of Cinderella before it, the earliest of which were
performed hundreds of years ago. Of course, it tells the story
of a young woman who, with the help of her Fairy Godmother,
escapes the hard life imposed on her by her wicked stepmother
and ugly stepsisters to go to a royal ball and meet her Prince
Charming. And yes, things do come apart for the heroine when the
clock strikes twelve, and yes, the Prince is left with only a
silver slipper as a clue to the identity of his lost love. Along
the way we meet Buttons, a friendly footman who is Cinderella’s
best friend ; Dandini, a friend of the prince who lends
assistance to the star-crossed lovers and Short, Back and Sides,
the comical builders temporarily employed by Baron Hard-Up.
Fans of holiday pantomimes will note that this production of
Cinderella adheres to many of the art form’s conventions. For
example:
• YES! The show uses popular tunes adapted, as necessary, to
fit the story line;
• YES! The audience is encouraged to get involved – greeting
Buttons whenever he appears, cheering the good guys, and, of
course, booing the baddies;
• YES! The most outrageous women, the two ugly sisters, are
played by men;
• YES! The audience gets its chance to shout “Look behind you!”!
The show which is produced and directed by Nikki Dereboy and
Sharon Inci, both teachers at the British International School,
has a large cast of 47 who range in age from eight years to
nearly seventy! No pantomime is complete without lots of
singing and dancing, and the large chorus has been choreographed by
Sarah Ozturk and Simay Erdođan.
Cinderella takes place at the Sisli Teraki
Theatre on Ebula Mardin Cadesi in Levent.
The four performances are at the following
times
Friday the 28th of November at 19:15
Saturday the 29th of November at 14:00
Saturday the 29th of November at 19:15
Sunday the 30th of November at 14:00
For further information or to book tickets please contact:
tickets@bccistanbul.org
