A Burnaby resident takes the title role when Metro Theatre presents its annual holiday pantomime.
King Arthur’s Court is onstage Dec. 14 to Jan. 5, with a preview show on Thursday, Dec. 13.
King Arthur is played by Burnaby actor Colton Fyfe (featured in this paper last year when he played Prince Eric in Align Entertainment’s musical production of The Little Mermaid).
His musical skills will once again come into play, as the panto uses song and dance to retell the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table – borrowing from parts of Camelot and parts of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The panto features young Arthur meeting Merlin (played by Sue Sparlin) and being educated, then maturing, meeting Guinevere (Megan Greenwood) and forming the Knights of the Round Table. These knights, however – featuring such gallant characters as Sir Round and Sir Cumspect, among others – are a dysfunctional and argumentative group, and it’s Arthur’s job to get them to collaborate.
There’s also a fire-breathing dragon with throat problems, along with the mainstay of any panto performance – the “Dame,” i.e. a man dressed as a woman (James T. Walker). In this case, it’s Mrs. Baker, the castle cook (not a good one), who has a few kitchen malfunctions along the way.
Plus, naturally, the audience is invited to cheer and jeer at the forces of good and evil – the Good Fairy (Emma Gold), a glittering spectacle in white, and the Demon (Mark Wolf) in black.
Other Burnaby members of the cast and crew include Katherine Mezei as Young Arthur and Heather Webster, the stage manager.
The cast of 28 singers, dancers and actors bring the show to life in medieval costumes, backed by a set that features castle turrets, forests and more.
“It is fun, family entertainment and a great way to introduce children to live theatre,” said producer and playwright Catherine Morrison.
See www.metrotheatre.com or www.facebook.com/metrotheatre.
Metro Theatre is at 1370 Southwest Marine Dr., Vancouver. The run of King Arthur’s Court includes eight evening shows at 7:30 p.m., and nine matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are available online through tickets.metrotheatre.com or by calling 604-266-7191.
