Chennai’s 26th Christmas pantomime promises Halloween elements as Dracula gets on stage

Swish. Armed with an elder wand, Madam Maleficent has a monstrous beast floored. The werewolf, albeit relentless, does a backflip and an upshot in quick succession to regain control. What follows is a well-executed altercation between monsters, witches and fairies. Spells are cast, evil is chased away, and beasts are defeated. A peek into The Little Theatre’s rehearsal space, Cheriana, currently populated by a strong 25-member cast preparing for its 26th Christmas pantomime — Dracula – Love at First Bite —leads one into a fantasy world-in-the-making.

In one corner, a group of children dance to Micheal Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ with an elf, while inside the pantry are stored skulls on stakes and a helmet with neon-coloured horns. The dramatic ‘We don’t talk about Bruno’ from Disney’s Encanto is heard from the farther end of the space. 

But where does Count Dracula factor into all this, you ask? It is for us to find out. All we know is that he is in search of a diabolical weapon: The Blood Stone.

The director, Krishnakumar B (KK) is a self-professed fan of the 1992 film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. “I have seen the movie many times, something which I shouldn’t have seen as a kid, but thoroughly enjoyed. In the end, Dracula is simply a love story,” says KK. What the team is building is a piece that derives from the fable, yet sticks tightly to the spirit of love, and giving, keeping to the unsaid tenets of a pantomime.      

The pantomime is back in the city after a pandemic-led hiatus of two years
| Photo Credit:
Gurucharan Ganesan

“We do deal with elements of fear, but it’s also about how you face it,” says Krishnakumar. “I wanted a narrative to explain what fear is all about, by bringing things from the darkness. This, I find, is the most efficient way to bring a theme like Dracula, to a young audience. It tries to take the children into the unknown and bring them back into the light. But in the end, it is still very much a comedy.”

Like how magic and action characterised previous pantomimes like Happy Potter and the Egg of Destiny and Prince of Persia- Pantomania, KK says that Dracula…will derive from Gothic elements.  

The play is back in the city after a pandemic-led hiatus of two years, and will address the same in a humorous way, says the director. 

“The pantomime has always been a social commentary, a reflection of pop culture and what the young people today relate to. We have plenty of those elements. That’s what brings the old tale to life, in my opinion. As much as we are bringing characters that are eons old, we are still building our own little panto universe. And this universe is beyond any timeline, or any logical structure. It is like a child’s playground.” 

And so, past, present and future collide, bringing even the Reel culture into a tale as old as time. 

KK will essay the role of Dracula
| Photo Credit:
Gurucharan Ganesan

The cast is a motley crew: from a parkour trainer, to a singer part of the Berklee Indian Ensemble, and many aspirant and some popular actors, the musical had originally seen about 120 people audition, of which 20 were selected. “We also had people who wanted to do this as a course, so , we opened up five spots for residency, with stage experience. So that makes it 25 people in the adult cast.”

Apart from the adults, 40 children who have been training with The Little Theatre are part of the young cast. As an artiste, creating a platform for young talents to break away from inhibitions, learn new skill sets to prepare themselves for a career, while growing through the process, is the most rewarding part about directing, says KK who has been directing the pantomime since 2011. 

The format which has now become synonymous with Christmas in Chennai, is driven by the city itself. “The soul of the pantomime also lies in constantly connecting with what drives the city. As much as it makes you laugh, it also talks about things that are very emotional to all of us, to the city.” 

Dracula – Love at First Bite, will be staged in Museum Theatre, Egmore from Dec 14 to 19. Donor passes are at ₹200 and ₹400 and can be purchased at thelittletheatre.explara.com . For more details, find them on Instagram: @thelittletheatrechennai

The musical had originally seen about 120 people audition, of which 25 were selected
| Photo Credit:
Gurucharan Ganesan