SCENE | 'West Van Story' Sweeps the Spirit of 'East Van Panto'

"You're just jealous, because I was an early developer."

Dawn Petten, Tresha Thamilchelvan, Izel de Lara & Ivy Charlies / Photo credit | Emily Cooper

Commercial Drive—One of my favourite annual traditions of leftist satirical musical propaganda (complimentary), East Van Panto, is back for another year of shared theatrical joy. Theatre Replacement's latest holiday stage production, presented by The Cultch, returned to the York Theatre for its lucky thirteenth edition of love, laughter, and low-income housing.

This time around, audiences witness a bizarre romance centred on a North Shore real estate mega-developer enforcing further mass gentification of a beloved East Vancouver neighbourhood with a Romeo and Juliet-style musical riff on West Side Van Story. Taking off on the classic street gang musical warfare of West Side Story, the show uses the originally British act of "pantomime" to further heighten its dramatic tension of family-friendly fable storytelling.

Much of this fun is primarily achieved through a soundtrack of catchy contemporary pop song parodies, dance choreography, topical hyper-local jokes, with larger-than-life characters, and plenty of audience participation to get everyone into the holiday spirit.

de Lara, Thamilchelvan, Charlies, Brown & Dylan McNulty

From veteran playwright Marcus Youssef, with first-timer Pedro Chamale, directed by Chelsea Haberlin, and music composed as always by Panto lifer Veda Hille, the musical romp diverts from the usual fairytale antics for a sweet but star-crossed romance between Joe's (Ben Brown) and Holly (Ivy Charles) of the rival Grandview Pets and Hollyburn Sharks cross-town curling teams.

Standout performances come from Meaghan Chenosky and Dawn Petten, both in dual roles, as wealthy West Van condo developers that do not waste a moment or line to ridicule our local class of "elites," like Chip Wilson, Ken Sim, or Bob Rennie, all while trying to "Lions Gate Bridge" the divide between sworn enemies.

West Van Story more than lives up to the storied, hilarious, and enjoyable history of East Van Panto. It's another wildly anti-capitalist, hyper-local expression of artistry that claps back at the out-of-touch, mega-rich powerbrokers quickly eroding our shared values and ways of life. There are few things more creatively fulfilling, meaningful, or childishly celebratory than this annual holiday stage tradition.

East Van Panto: West Van Story's run has been extended due to popular demand until January 11th, live on stage at the York Theatre, with most shows already sold out.


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