Theatre fans will get three for one when they take in the Kaatza Lakeside Players upcoming shows at Centennial Hall.
The short fractured fairy tales Big Bad by Alec Strum, Cinderella! Cinderella! by Edith Weiss, and Rollin’ in Dough in Mistletoe (or Don’t Crack Jingle Bell Rock) by Marietta Slater will be performed each night of a two week run starting Thursday, Nov. 15.
Presentations take place Nov. 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24 at 7:30 p.m. and there’s also a matinee Nov. 24 starting at 2 p.m.
Big Bad (45 minutes long) gives the audience the chance to join the fun as the most notorious criminal in the fairy-tale world, Big Bad Wolf, is being slapped with a class-action lawsuit by the countless quirky characters he has wronged.
Now, the two greatest legal minds in the Enchanted Forest — the Evil Stepmother and the Fairy Godmother — will clash (on live Court TV, no less, with Ms. Grimm as commentator) in a trial that will be remembered forever after. As Little Red Riding Hood, her Grandmother, the Three Little Pigs and the Shepherd in charge of the Boy Who Cried Wolf testify, the wolf seems deserving of all that’s coming.
But, even though the disreputable Evil Stepmother couldn’t be less interested in pro-bono work on such an obviously futile defence, Mr. Wolf makes a good case for himself.
So, was he born a criminal, or made one? Does he deserve compassion instead of condemnation? What will the verdict be? Only you — the jury — will determine the outcome of the trial…and the play.
Next up, the Players ask you to throw out your fairy-tale ideas of a Cinderella with dainty glass slippers and hideous stepsisters in Cinderella! Cinderella! (45 minutes long).
This unique and hilarious adaptation offers a new twist on the old fairy story.
In an English village in 1342, Cinderella, a plain looking girl with big feet, has to compete with her two mean-spirited but stunningly gorgeous stepsisters for the hand of the kind and sincere prince.
With the help of her faithful feline companion, Tom, and a lovable but vision-impaired Fairy Godmother who’s always using the wrong wand, Cinderella finally learns that magic isn’t the answer to her problems.
Courage, kindness and self-confidence trump superficial beauty and an expensive wardrobe. From Tom’s slapstick shenanigans to Lady Lotta Bonbon’s cat allergies to cupcakes in the face at the ball, everyone laughs their way through the valuable lessons learned. Even the hateful stepsisters see that a kind heart is what emanates true beauty.
This is a comic delight for all ages.
For a final 15 minutes of fun, join the cast in the community of Mistletoe where it’s Christmas Eve but everyone is far from “Holly Jolly.”
The villain, Rolland N. Dough, is foreclosing on the entire town, which has everybody dreaming of a black Christmas.
Will the townspeople be out in the cold, “walkin’ in a winter wonderland”? Will “the most wicked, the most dastardly, the most evil, the most despicable villain of all time” finally win out this time?
If only the town could find the Five Golden Rings hidden near Jingle Bell Rock, they’d have enough money to pay off their loans and save the town.
Their fate, however, rests in the hands of Randolph the Bowlegged Cowboy. Will he go down in history?
This clever Christmas melodrama rustles up laughter and silly fun by incorporating Christmas carol lyrics into dialogue.
So, you can see, you want to take the whole family to enjoy these funny shows.
And there’s a special on opening night tickets: that night only adults get in for $13 each and kids 10 and under will be admitted for $8.
On all the other performances, tickets for adults cost $15, while kids under 10 get in for $10.
You can purchase those tickets at Dot’s Shoes or Butler Locksmithing in Lake Cowichan or at Ten Old Books in Duncan. Online types can go to http://kaatzalakesideplayers.ca and click where it says “click here to buy tickets”.