Slipper tells a distinctly Calgarian Cinderella story

By Fernando David Moreno, November 22 —

As part of the pantomime tradition of the holiday season, Alberta Theatre Projects presents Slipper — “a distinctly Calgarian Cinderella story.” The show is based on the classic fairy tale by Charles Perrault.

Playwright director Rebecca Northan says that Calgary is the perfect host for Cinderella and the adventures she finds herself in.

“I grew up in Calgary so I thought it was a good idea to write a love letter to Calgary and I think modernizing [Cinderella] makes it accessible for everybody and it makes it fun,” she says. “[It] takes a classic tale and puts it in a community that we all live in and know so well.”

Northan has acted in the city for 17 years and is a long-time company member of the Loose Moose Theatre. She says Slipper will appeal to multiple demographics.

“It’s a holiday family show, so the demographic is two-years old to 92-years old,” she says. “The play is being done in a style called panto which is a 200 year old tradition that comes to
us from England. The entire point of panto is to take classic fairy tales [and] put a fun, some times modern spin on them — includ[ing] things like parodies of pop songs, political humour [and] adult humour that sails over the heads of kids all while keeping the story we all know that kids love so that an entire family can enjoy the evening together.”

The play includes three original songs written and composed by Christian Goutisis.

Northan hopes to highlight the universal aspects of the Cinderella story by setting it against the backdrop of Calgary.

“The Cinderella story exists in a variety of forms in all cultures,” Northan says.

She says the play explores the humanizing aspects of a person figuring who they are and how they want to present themselves to the world “filtered through a classic tale.”

“The hope of course is that because it’s recognizable and there’s all kinds of local humour that it will feel like a wonderful holiday gift whether you grew up here or are new to the city,” Northan says.

The fairy tale of Cinderella has a massive legacy and connotations in the public conscious for kids and adults. Northan says that no one should come expecting the Disney version. Rather, they can expect a uniquely Calgary version based on a tale that is over 2,000 years old.

Slipper will run from Nov. 11–Dec. 31. Tickets are available online.

For more information, visit ATPlive.com