Stettler jeweler Gordon Lawlor starring as the stunning Mother Hood roused audiences in five performances of Red Riding Hood presented by Heartland Arts Troupe Society at Stettler Performing Arts Centre from Nov. 4 to 8.
“The whole production was fantastic and many people said it was the best show ever done by HATS, “ said Jane Shepherd, who directed the two-hour pantomime written by Bob Hammond.
“All the audiences loved the whole performance.”
“The production was hilarious and had lots of audience participation and zany activities.”
Audiences laughed throughout the entire show with funny and hilarious antics and other parts to engage the crowd, she said.
Only one of the five shows was sold out, said Shepherd who believes the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu kept many people away from the being in crowds.
Shepherd gave top marks to everyone, from the performers to off-stage volunteers.
Red Riding Hood featured both human and animated animals.
Danielle Baltimore played the lead role of Red Riding Hood while the wolf was played by Malcolm Fischer.
Other cast roles featured Cody Borek as Tom, Dean Lovell as Dr. Darling, Donna Boyd-Stadelman as Lucinda, Andrew Humphries as Farmer Hood and a ventriloquist, Harry Brook as Walter and a talking sheep, Zoe Bourdon as Mother Hen, Sue Stratulate as Clarissa, Peter Simons as Randy Rooster and Hooded Avenger, Tracey Soldan as the nurse and Deborah Groce-Checkel as the Minstral and Geraldine Chicken.
Supporting cast of 20 performers included members of the Gracenotes youth choir perform various other roles including Three Little Pigs, French Hens and the Chicken Chorus.
Farmer Hood’s chickens are being whittled down by the Big Bad Wolf and Granny Hood needs her cottage re-decorated, and Red needs a new dress to go to the village dance.
All these collide in the woods and the wolf gets in, but not before there’s a lot of clucking, howling, oinking, screaming and general mayhem.
Up next, HATS is preparing to present a dinner-theatre production next April.