The cast of How To Sway Your Dragon
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Once December arrives and that familiar nip in the air (or the occasional torrential downpour) sweeps through the city, it finally begins to look a lot like Christmas. And for nearly three decades, The Little Theatre’s annual Christmas pantomime has been part of that magic, ushering in the season with songs, dances, dames, and a gaggle of bright-eyed children ready to act their hearts out onstage.
In a whirlwind lead up to the pantomime with only a week left, Krishnakumar Balasubramanian(KK), artistic director of The Little Theatre is busy with rehearsals and is running in to check how the sets are coming along. “I first auditioned for the pantomime in 2007 as an actor, and have been directing it since 2011. When children grow up and show up for the auditions of the adult cast, you realise how time has passed. It has been an amazing journey of knowing people for so long, and how special and easy it is to work with them as well,” KK says.
This year, The Little Theatre stages How to Sway Your Dragon, a pantomime set in Lord Odin’s magical village of Burp, which is responsible for producing all the joy found in the world. What happens when the mysterious Ice King and his band of musical demons pose a threat to the production of joy? An unlikely hero emerges in Teacup, as he sets out with a trio of Odin’s warriors. Directed by KK, the pantomime is as always, a group effort, with many cast and crew members pitching in to shape the script and work on its various facets.
The cast and crew have been rehearsing since August for the Christmas pantomime
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“We were discussing working on something exciting and new although we do have the habit of pulling out old fairy tales. I remember watching How To Train Your Dragon with my daughter and falling in love with how lovely it was. Earlier this year, we also saw Kpop Demon Hunters and were very inspired by the amazing songs and how it all came together,” KK says, of what inspired them for this year’s show.
Over 50 children will take over the stage in addition to the adult cast which includes Kaivalya Krishnan, Deepthie Orintelu, Mark Thomas and Navin Krubhakar. Produced by Aysha Rau, the pantomime has been choreographed by Kavya of Black Swan Studio and Vikas Rao of Signature Studio, with Lavita Lobo as the music director.
“Every year there’s a good balance of actors, mimicry artistes, singers and dancers. This year, we have an exceptional number of singers who are at an incredible level of skill including Mark Thomas and Nadisha Thomas,” KK says.
The cast and crew have been rehearsing together since August and Rohini Rau, CEO, The Little Theatre says year after year, the workings of their productions seem like a well-oiled machine.
“While convincing someone to come and watch the pantomime for the first time is always the most challenging, I ask them to trust us and come and experience the show with their children. Many families plan their December around the pantomime, and it is heartening that we have repeat audiences in such large numbers. We keep the tickets priced in such a way as well,” she says.
How To Sway Your Dragon will be staged at Museum Theatre, Egmore from December 12 to 18. For details log onto https://thelittletheatre.explara.com/events
Published – December 03, 2025 04:37 pm IST
