JW3 to stage first ever Chanukah panto

Finchley Road venue JW3 is to stage what it claims to be the first ever professional Jewish panto over the Chanukah festival, it has been announced.

Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig will fill what William Galinsky, director of programming at JW3, says is a “gap in the market” later this year by appealing to both young and older members of the community.

He told the Guardian:”Panto is one of the oldest and best-loved British traditions, one of the few times a year people young and old come together to experience the joys of the theatre.

“The Jewish community has a long history of theatre, and now is the time we brought those two traditions together.”

The panto will be set during the Festival of Lights, said Galinsky, with Little Red Riding Hood’s village in need of a new electricity source at an affordable price.

Other characters include Bubbe, the Jewish grandmother, who may save the day with her “special wind”.

Galinsky has looked towards assembling a team to work on the panto from within the community, including writer Nick Cassenbaum, director Georgia Green, musical director Josh Middleton and associate producer Becky Plotnek.

An onstage band will also perform Jewish pop and traditional songs, but with panto lyrics.

“Like all the best family entertainment, it works at a number of different levels. I’m confident a four-year-old will find it very funny. But also [adults] will find it funny at a more sophisticated level,” said Galinsky.