Pirates of The Turks & Caicos - The Legend of the Black Conch

Posted by Chris Mann Posted in General, News |

Pantomime is back! Two years ago, the Turks & Caicos Friends of the Arts Foundation staged TCI’s first-ever Christmas pantomime, “A Caribbean Cinderella”, written and directed by John Garvin - and ever since islanders have been asking “When’s the next one?”

So this year John and the team have created a new show with an original script, based on the pirate history of these islands in the 1700s - but in the true panto tradition, packed with jokes, songs, dance, spectacle, and fun for all the family.

A Pantomime is a long-standing tradition of the British theatre, with almost every professional theatre company and many amateur ones staging a panto at Christmastime. For many people, going to the panto is their first experience of live theatre, and it’s usually the most well-attended and profitable show in a theatre’s calendar, helping to sustain the theatre through the rest of the year. There are certain traditions that have become the hallmarks of the genre, including a comic “pantomime dame” who is always played by a man, comedy of mistaken identity, slapstick, and a script packed with puns and topical jokes.

“Pirates of The Turks & Caicos - The Legend of the Black Conch” runs from December 5th to  December 15th at Brayton Hall, Provo. Over 60 members of the local community have taken part, acting, building sets, creating costumes, working on lighting and sound, selling tickets, and so on. It’s an all-amateur effort, but the results are totally professional! I helped with the design of the posters and publicity material, and taking photos of the cast. My colleagues David Gallardo and Ileana Ravasio also came along to the dress rehearsals with me to shoot the photos you see below.

This production will be John Garvin’s swansong as actor and producer - he is leaving the islands soon to pursue a new and exciting career in Australia, working in the movie industry. We wish him every success, and sincerely thank him for the great pleasure that both his shows have brought to so many people, and the burst of energy that they have injected into the arts here in Turks & Caicos. Don’t forget to send us a postcard, John!

If you’d like to buy prints of our photos of the show, they are available in an online gallery here. All proceeds from the sale of these photos will go to support the Turks & Caicos Friends of the Arts Foundation in its excellent work promoting the arts in Turks & Caicos.

Meanwhile, here are a few images from the show to whet your appetite!

 

(above) Addison Stoddard as Jim Chowder and the cast wow the audience with the opening song

 

(above) David Been as the Widow Chowder

 

(above) John Garvin as “Lucky” the Potcake

 

(above) Euwonka Selver as Mary Reid

 (above) Meryl Cooper as Piles, the Pirate

(aobve) John Thomson as Captain Gaylord Barnett

(above) David Been as the Widow Chowder

 

(above) Euwonka Selver, Michael Frolick as “Calico Jack” Rackham, and Wendy Denham as Titus

(above) Michael Frolick and cast prepare to repel boarders!

(above) Kim Mortimer as Anne Bonny, disguised as Capt. Barnett’s henchman, Perkins

(above) Kay Weir as the Pirate Landlady leads the cast in a song and dance number

(above) Kim Mortimer as Anne Bonny, disguised as Perkins, disguised as an ancient hunchback (see the show to find out why!!)

(above) Capt. Barnett’s Redcoats keep a close watch on the captured pirates

 

(above) Addison Stoddard and Euwonka Selver sing a duet

(above) Dave Volkert as “Peg-Leg Percy”

(above) Meryl Cooper and Cora Malcolm get in the pirate groove…