COARSE, HAIRY FUN

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The Christmas pantomime, or “panto”, as it is colloquially called, is a longstanding English holiday theatre entertainment that’s never made much inroads outside the Commonwealth, more’s the pity. Drawing on the commedia dell’arte tradition, they’re usually based on fairy tales and incorporate popular songs, cross-dressing, a great deal of audience interaction, and (PG-rated) bawdy humor. It’s usually good, naughty, family fun and I was delighted to be invited to a panto put on by Pride Arts at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre in the Center on Halsted.

The pantos put on by Pride Arts, for four years running now, follow the standard panto blueprint with one key difference: they’re not particularly family-friendly. In fact, they’re about as far from family-friendly that you can get without nudity on stage. Still good fun, but good, absolutely filthy, raunchy fun.

Hannah Efsits

Rapornzel, written by panto specialist Tom Whalley, takes its plot cues from the Disney flick Tangled (2010) rather than the Brothers Grimm. It opens in the standard fashion with baby Rapornzel being stolen from King Merkin (Dave Kelch, sporting the rudest codpiece you will ever see) and locked away in a tower by evil witch Mother F**ker (Gina Cioffi in a kinky, absurdly sexy turn). Eighteen years later, Rapornzel (Hannah Efsits) is bored and horny and visited only by the witch who climbs up to the tower room using a braid of Rapornzel’s hair. NOT the hair from her head but a few points south of her scalp (I told you: absolutely filthy!).

Hannah Efsits, Peter Moeller, Bryan Fowler,
David Kelch, Charlotte Harris, Jeremy Cox, Gina Cioffi

Never fear though, a rescue party is formed with muscular Prince Ride-Her (Bryan Fowler, playing dashing and dumb to hilarious effect), the King Merkin, a hairdresser named Dame Fanny Follicle (a very funny Peter Moeller in drag), and her idiot son Pascal. And providing running commentary throughout is a scene-stealing Jeremy Cox as the Hairy Fairy Dandruff, a land-bound fairy desperate to earn his wings.

All of this silliness is regularly interrupted by musical parodies (heavy focus on the 80s hits here) and call-and-response with the audience. I got an especial kick out of watching the two very proper-looking audience members of a certain age blush even as they screamed, “F*ck off, Pascal!”

Ensemble

There are a lot of jokes. A lot of terrible jokes. And even worse puns. Not all of them work but director Claire Hart Proepper keeps things moving at a rapid enough clip that even if a joke clunks (as a fair bit do) there’s another one nipping at its heels. The actors are entertaining and even if all of their singing voices aren’t top notch, it doesn’t matter. They don’t need to be. Charlotte Harris (Pascal) is the only one who struggles with timing although I suspect that’s more an issue with the script than anything else. She also gets the worst of it in terms of the shaky sound. This is the second show in a row at Pride Arts where the sound has been less than optimal. It’s a small enough space that this really shouldn’t be an issue. Hopefully they can work the kinks out going forward.

Jonathan Berg-Einhorn’s set features a verdant green backdrop with strategically placed penises and vulvae. Rapornzel’s tower turns around depending on who’s climbing up or inside. It’s all charmingly hokey and perfectly apropos to the material.

Panto is not a passive experience. The more you participate the more you’ll enjoy it. So, get the kids a sitter and get to the theatre early enough for a pre-show cocktail. Then settle into your seat, clear your throat, and be prepared to boo, hiss, cheer, and curse for the next couple of hours. You’ll have a blast. Just leave your inhibitions at the door.

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photos by Logan and Candice Lee Connor, Oomphotography

Rapornzel
Hoover-Leppen Theatre in Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted
Thurs-Sat at 7:30; Sun at 3
ends on December 14, 2025
for tickets ($30-$35), call 773.661.0770 or visit Pride Arts

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