With just under two weeks to go, Brussels' rehearsal rooms are buzzing with an electric atmosphere. The English Comedy Club is busily adding the final touches to its annual pantomime and its 44-strong international cast can't wait to get the show on the road.
The centuries-old British tradition of pantomime first found its feet in Brussels in the 1980s, when the British School of Brussels' group Pantoloons put on a performance of 'Snow White'. Since then, other English-language theatre groups have followed suit, such as BATS in Antwerp and AATG in The Hague.
In 2013, the English Comedy Club (ECC) decided to add pantomime to their repertoire too. One of the ECC's committee members, Conrad Toft, felt it was "really missing" in the club.
Although pantomime had been around in Brussels for decades by this point, it took Toft four years to persuade the committee, as it wasn't seen as "serious theatre" by some. "But now, it's firmly fixed in the calendar," he told The Brussels Times.
"People think panto is too frivolous – but it's the most fun you can have on stage," co-directors of this year's show 'Cinderella', Cat Harris and Andy Fisk, told The Brussels Times. "[British actor] Ian McKellen – who is theatre royalty – brought it back when he chose to play Mother Goose," Harris adds.
Co-directors Andy Fisk and Cat Harris giving notes after a rehearsal. Credit: The Brussels Times
Pantomime is a genre of musical comedy aimed at children and usually performed around Christmas. The flamboyantly festive form of theatre typically features two lovers, a dame, a villain, fairies and other comedy characters.
Reversed gender roles, audience participation (singing songs, booing/hissing and shouting certain phrases, such as "it's behind you!" when something goes missing, and the back-and-forth screaming of "oh yes it is!" followed by "oh no it isn't!"), slapstick comedy, topical gags and eccentric costumes also always guaranteed.
Bringing Britain to Belgium
Pantomime is an inherently British tradition, so how does it fit into Belgium? "It's a part of British culture that can be exported. When we started doing the panto, it was about 70% Brits. Now it's more like 70% non-Brits. So it's very universal form of storytelling which has become very popular with all nationalities," says Cath Howdle, who has been involved in the ECC's panto every year since 'Jack and the Beanstalk' in 2013.
The club tailors their annual show to Belgium by including two Belgian characters in the script: this year, the two fairy godparents (Marianne la Marraine played by Hannah Riley and Peter de Peeter played by Geoffrey Mamdani). There are also geographical references and even Proximus and STIB jokes in the upcoming show.
Fairy godparents Marianne la Marraine and Peter de Peeter and the chorus. Credit: The Brussels Times
2025 marks the club's 11th panto, 'Cinderella', which is taking to the stage in Auderghem in the final week of January. Cinderella, played by Sarah Leclere, is an "environmental mechanic who stops the horses from farting and different from the typical fairytale character," according to Fisk.
The co-director believes this is their tightest script and most talented chorus to date – consisting of 32 children from Brussels' international and European schools.
From the costumes to the dance numbers, the show is certainly larger than life and promises a two-hour performance packed with a punch.
Breaking language barriers – and the fourth wall
The music, dancing and bright colours also help with the language barrier, Howdle says. Children who are too young to speak English well will also recognise the fairytale and crowdpleasers such as Beyoncé's 'Single Ladies', Les Miserables 'One Day More' and Sister Sledge's 'We Are Family' – albeit with different lyrics!
The children who come to see the show each year clearly enjoy it as many leave the theatre eager to audition the following year. "There are teenagers in the chorus who started when they were seven who have come back year after year." The youngest cast member this year is seven and the oldest is in their 60s.
The show is written by a group of long-standing ECC members. This is the team's secret to success, as Harris says there are many manufactured pantomimes nowadays which are like "fast food theatre."
The script constantly evolves throughout the rehearsal process to stay relevant. "The writing changes because you think of new jokes, political references, celebrity references. This year, we wrote the script in May, for example, but have since added in 'Wicked' references," explains Howdle, who is playing one of the ugly stepsisters this year.
"We have had instances where politics has moved so fast during the show week that we've actually had a different script at certain points from Friday to Sunday because there's been some developments that we wanted to make a joke about. So it's a very vibrant, lively kind of show. It keeps people on their toes," she continues.
Cinderella and sidekick Buttons (Left) and the ugly stepsisters (Right). Credit: The Brussels Times
"The fourth wall sits in an entirely different place. It's in front of the adults in the audience, but the children are completely in the story," Harris notes.
"There is a duality with pantomime," adds Howdle. "There is the storytelling layer for children, which is funny but not rude, and the layer for adults which has lots of commentary and is quite filthy sometimes. The Shrek films do the same thing."
The cast performing their final number. Credit: The Brussels Times
While Fisk says the show is more about frivolous fun than a moral message, Harris maintains that 'Cinderella' is about "love and finding family where you want it. Family doesn't have to be who you're related to; it's who you have around you" – a relatable message for many Brussels expats.
'Cinderella' will be performed at the Auderghem Cultural Centre from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 January. More information on tickets and timings can be found here.
