THE National Pantomime is returning to the stage at the Little Theatre in St Andrew after a two-year absence.

With the relaxing of measures under the Disaster Risk Management Act, the Little Theatre Movement (LTM), producers of the annual dramatic production, have decided to hit the stage in May with Rebel K, a musical which was first presented in December of last year for a virtual audience.

Anya Gloudon Nelson of the LTM shared that the members of the pantomime company are raring to perform for a live audience, having been restricted due to the ban on mass gatherings as a result of the pandemic.

“We are ready to go. So we will hit the stage with this production on the Mother’s Day weekend, so that’s on May 7 and right now we are projecting that we will run until the end of May… that’s the plan right now, but we will see how things go and whether there is any possibility of extending the run,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Rebel K is loosely based on two previous LTM pantomimes – Johnny Reggae (1978) and Reggae Son (1992). The production chronicles the experiences of a young, uptown girl who serendipitously ends up in a singing competition while on an excursion downtown and falls in love with the music. She must now convince her mother, who is not thrilled, to support her passion for the music.

Gloudon Nelson further shared that two factors greatly influenced the decision to mount Rebel K.

“For the past two years we have not been able to present anything and we still have bills to pay. So anything to reduce the mounting bills is welcomed. By we want to return to the stage. Performing for virtual audiences is just not the stage as having that audience response and having them immersed into the production with us. So we are looking forward to that whole experience once again which we have all been missing so much.”

“We are aiming for the weekend, Friday to Sunday. Our shows on Friday and Saturday will be at 7:00 pm; there will also be the two o’clock matinee on a Saturday afternoon and our show Sundays is at 4:00 pm,” she continued.

Gloudon Nelson further shared that they, LTM, has received some assistance for the Jamaican High Commission in London and will be be staging a lunch hour variety concert on Labour Day, May 23, to help raise funds.

“This will feature some of the friends of pantomime over the years. So far we have confirmation from entertainer including Fab 5, Lloyd Lovindeer and Oliver Samuels who have agreed to support this effort.”

The National Pantomime has been a staple on the entertainment calendar since 1941. The first production was Jack and the Beanstalk and in the succeeding years the pantomime reflected a Eurocentric storyline. This changed in 1954, thanks to the efforts of theatre stalwarts including the late Louise Bennett Coverley (Miss Lou) and Ranny Williams (Mass Ran), who argued for a production that reflected a more Jamaican outlook. That year the pantomime was Anancy and The Magic Mirror written and directed by Greta Fowler.

In March 2020 the pantomime Ruckshon Junction had to be pulled from the stage in light of the onset of the pandemic.