Hear ye, hear ye! Kingdom of Farmvillia, get thee to this year’s panto at Waterworks Players. Sponsored by A Great Escape Spalon, this season’s fan-favorite British-style pantomime play is an adaptation of Jack Shaw’s “Jack and Jill: The Troll’s Story”  — a comedic blending of the classic Jack and Jill children’s story with some added troll drama.

I recently had the opportunity to see the preview with my children, and I now understand the hype. The show delivers all of the traditional elements of a good panto coupled with perfectly delivered humor, local and culturally relevant references and well-timed audience participation to keep all ages engaged.

PERFECTLY PLACED PANTO

With history dating back to ancient Greek theater and Italian comedy dell’arte, pantomime theater is all about audience participation. Waterworks’s cozy 116-seat courtyard-style theater lends itself perfectly to this audience engagement, as characters don’t just interact from stage but are also moving around (and sometimes in) the seats with its viewers. From the right, you have Elle Franssen’s Prince Jasper — serving as a blend between cross-dressing principal boy and villain roles — being booed onto the stage, while the princess and her entourage train in from the right, led by principal ingenue Madelyn Wheeler’s Princess Magenta. This also allows for the costuming schtick of click-clacking boots to fill up the sound in the room. It took me a few times to recognize it, but when I did, the click-clack almost became Pavlovian. When I heard that noise behind me, I knew I was about to laugh a lot.

There were some breakaway comedy moments that had me tickled. The Dame character falsetto-belting Celine Dion’s “Power of Love” to mixed audience reviews. Comic leads Elijah Logue and Gregory Gibbs Jr.’s Run DMC dance battle reminding me of my own middle school dances. The prop gags. Through all of these elements combined, we get to feel the joy these performers have on stage in this intimate setting.

After having done this for over a decade, Jordan Whiley, who plays the infamous Dame character, notes that this is “one of the highlights of my year.” And it’s easy to see why. His performance as the Dame is comedy gold. Breaking the fourth wall with the audience and the performer asides with his deep baritone seamlessly switching in and out lands exactly how that character needs to.

“I feel like this year’s script has an actual story,” co-director Kolby Logue said. “It makes a little more sense than others.”

And I definitely agree. While the story is a blend of children’s classics, princesses and a magically transformed troll, Shaw’s script is tighter than some pantos I have seen and read. There is clear blocking, and the story more neatly connects together and doesn’t feel as forced in lieu of meeting a pantomine’s formula.

BRINGING MAGIC TO FARMVILLE

Beyond the script itself and the wonderful performances, this play’s success could also be attributed to the direction behind the scenes. As an artist, when you love what you do, that often shines through in the product. And it is bright how much these directors love this genre.

As a Farmville native, Logue’s first theater show when she was 12 years old was a panto. At age 17, the Waterworks panto “Beauty and the Beast” was her first performance. Now she returns to direct on the very stage she grew up on. She even met her husband, Elijah Logue, who we see as one of the hilarious comic leads on this stage.

Meanwhile, co-director LeeAnn Schock, whose son Logan Schock plays this year’s magical transformation scene as the Prince-Troll, remembers carting stage sets and props across the stage during productions.

“It was hard,” but it was worth it, she said. The stage crew’s efficient scene changes testify to their dedication, but even those working behind the scenes with lighting and sound in the rafters exude their enthusiasm about this work.

Auditions for this year’s panto happened back in mid-September, with rehearsals starting in early November. Coming off their success with Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” the Waterworks crew and volunteers only had four weeks to bring this new show to life. This year’s stage was painted and detailed by Red Door 104’s Audrey Sullivan, and the minimalist set design allows for the performers to utilize the open stage more while focusing on the plot line surrounding the story’s not-so-wishing well in the center.

Waterworks board member Leigh Lunsford, who gets to be the butt of a joke during the play,- noted, “A lot of these kids in the show grew up in the pantos.”

This is perhaps the most magical charm of the show: that so much young talent is having fun on that stage. Just like Logue experienced with her own first pantos, the children and young teenagers involved in this show are what serve our rural community by providing this creative outlet. As a parent, I often struggle with finding things to do with my kids; to switch up the usual park playdates, library and Moton visits and movie dates. Having creative events like this show provides this variety.

Waterworks has been doing the panto play every year since 2006, when Waterworks veteran Mary Jo Stockton brought it to Farmville. Panto has been a Farmville tradition ever since. She says she did it out of “desire” for her own daughter “to grow up with this tradition that was such a big part of the holidays for me growing up in Scotland.”

Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Waterworks’ pantos. Lunsford mentions, “It has been a great thing for our community,” noting that Stockton won an LCVA Award for Community Achievement in the Arts back in 2017 for this work. Not many American theaters put on annual pantos, and the community involvement and emphasis on young talent is something that sets Waterworks apart from other local and state theater companies, such as nearby Wolfbane’s “A Christmas Carol.” Franssen’s mean yet still charming villain commands the stage. The playful chemistry between Jack (Jason Badeaux) and Jill (Teagan McKinney). The teen girl squad and their quiet backend moments. Schock’s detailed and raggedy troll costume (and his ability to move around in it) that reminded me of that old-school Internet sensation Old Gregg. And the adorable Swiss-Alps-meets-Middle-Ages costumery and children’s play with the younger cast.

THE CAST DELIVERS

There were two standout performances for me, which were directly linked together and did not have much air time. While my son says his favorite was the troll (and the booing) and my daughter predictably adored the princess, I was all in for this aside bit. At the top of the show, the young stage hands announce that the role of the Wizard will be played by a non-performer – a stagehand way down the chain of command. As a writer, I absolutely loved this subtle but impactful element. While the things that made me laugh the most were Logue and Gibbs’s commitment to an awkward sleeping position and the perfectly extemporaneous ad-lib trying to find a wand piece on stage, this stagehand-turned-performer bit was my favorite part of the story, and it worked in large part to the deadpan delivery.

My breakout performance is the primary stage hand, who makes this announcement to start the play and frequently appears throughout the show to chide the performers, remove props and wipe up messes. Hayes Osborn has something naturally charming here that I hope he continues to bring to this stage.

Meanwhile, my standout is Sarah Varela as the flustered stagehand trying to go along with the play, as she serves as the Wizard and later the Parson. Her performance was reminiscent of the hilarity of Carol Burnett’s charwoman somehow magically coupled with Aubrey Plaza’s signature deadpan.

While these may have been my personal favorites, I believe the cast had a great vibe together overall. Everyone did well and added to the tightness of the story. In live theater, the performers can make or break a script. And this cast delivered.

The utter adorableness of the kids dancing amok on stage. Patriarch Erik Varela’s flawless chemistry with both the Dame and knee-slapping with his stage daughter, McKinney’s Jill. Christy Moore’s cynical lady-in-waiting bringing “straight man” parental-style wisdom. Whiley’s Dame of Perfection. And Logue and Gibbs’s physical and facial comedy.

The only thing I wanted more of was the music. When it was there, it worked perfectly. Even the joke about sound booth snafus was smooth. The show works well without overwhelming it with music, but I do find myself wanting those singalong moments. Though, I will definitely get my musical theater fix with Waterwork’s upcoming musical, “Alice by Heart,” which will see the Logue duo swapping seats, as Elijah will direct and Kolby will star.

PAY THE TROLL TAX

If you haven’t seen “Jack and Jill: The Troll’s Story” yet, I highly recommend you purchase tickets on the Waterworks website before they sell out. Six shows run Fridays and Saturdays, Dec. 6-13 with both evening and matinee performances. Much like co-director Logue, this was my first show at Waterworks, and this definitely won’t be the last for me or my kids. Waterworks Players have something special here, and I am glad they share this with the community every year.

In an age where I struggle getting my kids away from their screens, hearing my son cackle and boo next to me and my daughter sass right along with the characters brought me such immense joy. And after all, this is what the spirit of panto is all about: Bringing families together in the holiday season and spreading laughter, love, and cheer. And trolls.

Read more at: https://farmvilleherald.com/2025/12/waterworks-delivers-a-happy-ending-with-this-years-seasonal-panto/