HELD OVER TO JANUARY 11, 2026

Stop reading, pick up your phone or go online to buy tickets for Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto: West Van Story. Heather Redfern, The Cultch’s Executive Director, told us on Opening Night that the whole run is almost sold out. A spot check today revealed one ticket here, two tickets there. Redfern did hint at added performances so get waitlisted if you have the opportunity.

What’s so good about it? Everything. But off the top it’s a chance to see the ever-young Dawn Petten as both baggy-pants Spartacus and Boberta Rainy, a villainous, androgynous, megadeveloper and motherfather of Holly and Burn. Petten will make you laugh out loud with her antics; her physicality is hilarious and her timing is awesome. Discovering her character is suddenly now speaking in iambic pentameter, Petten pauses then gives the slightest, quizzical “Oh” or maybe “Ho” and exits stage right. Give her the keys to the city. Or, at the very least, give her free SkyTrain for the rest of her life. Let her pick the flowers in VanDusen Botanical Garden if she wants. Let her do whatever she likes. She’s a civic treasure.

The cast with Ivy Charles and Ben Brown (centre)
Credit: Emily Cooper Photography

And so is Veda Hille, back at the keyboard, looking great in white shorts and knee socks and belting out the credits to which we all hollered, repeatedly and loudly, “Hurrah! Hurrah!” She (and percussionist Kate Johnson) perform almost two dozen songs with Hille’s clever, funny, spot-on, site-specific lyrics ranging from ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ to ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)’.

Meaghan Chenosky is terrific as blond-wigged Dolly with a big gold dollar sign on her little black dress, and equally funny as Burn, the private school educated brother of Holly. Holly and Burn, get it? Ivy Charles and Ben Brown are sweetly paired as the young lovers Holly and Joes.

Tom Pickett and Meaghan Chenosky
Credit: Emily Cooper Photography

There is just so much talent on the York stage including three adorable little kids.

The story is a mash-up of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story, and local politics. It pokes fun at Mayor Sim (who thinks “E. coli is a brand of protein powder”) and lululemon founder Chip Wilson, and it pits East Van against West Van – but in a nice way. It celebrates curling and it lambasts city council for yet another ten-story building in the ‘hood. Sim City, perhaps?

It goes like this: when West Van’s Holly, her curling team – the Hurry Hards – and her brother Burn get stranded on the Vancouver side of the Lions Gate Bridge (closed due to a tsunami), unexpected adventures ensue. Not the least of these adventures is Holly’s romantic attachment to Joes, a member of the East Van Pets, the sworn enemies of the Hurry Hards. So, yes, there’s a finger-snapping rumble in the style of West Side Story even though Joes doesn’t even know what a rumble is.

Young and in love, Holly and Joes are determined to change the ending of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in which the lovers end up dead. “We’ll show that Shakespeare guy”, says Holly.

The cast
Credit: Emily Cooper Photography

The Panto opens with Tom Pickett as the iconic East Van Cross, scheduled for removal from the corner of 6^thand Clark. “EV” (Pickett in a foamy East Van Cross costume) is afraid of being moved to something higher than his present location because he’s afraid of heights. This becomes a through story and the always-engaging Pickett, with that sad puppy-dog look of his, really works it.

Amanda Testini’s choreography is sharp and lively against Cindy Mochizuki’s painted city scenes – The Drive, Kingsgate Mall (“I want to live in a mall like this,” sings Holly), 6th and Clark and more. Local businesses like the late, iconic Joes Café, Spartacus Gym, DownLow Chicken and others are worked into the story.

Donnie Tejani’s imaginative costumes include a big puck that twirls across the stage as curlers ‘hurry hard’ with brooms. Set design, lit by Sophie Tang, is Shizuka Kai’s.

Ben Brown and Ivy Charles
Credit: Emily Cooper Photography

Written for Theatre Replacement by Marcus Youssef with Pedro Chamale, and directed by Chelsea Haberlin, this Panto is bound to please. Haberlin’s comment in the program notes really strikes a chord. Quoting Scottish panto actor and writer Johnny McKnight, Haberlin writes: “[McKnight] spoke about how we can use this powerful form of satire to speak to the audience, and children, about things that matter. The audience sees the Panto and Panto sees the audience. There is a conversation here between us. It’s a conversation that matters.”

Your cheeks will get a workout from laughing at this East Van Panto: West Van Story. Your voice might get hoarse from booing and cheering. You will go out into the dark rainy night full of joy as if your Christmas shopping and baking were all done (probably not, it’s only November) and absolutely overjoyed that poking fun at ourselves and everyone and everything is not only allowed but celebrated. “Hurrah! Hurrah!”