Cast & Creative Team Set for RED!... A BIG BAD WOLF PANTO at The Capitol Theatre Port Hope

The cast has been revealed for Capitol Theatre Port Hope's annual holiday panto, an original retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. When Red leaves home with a basket of treats for her Granny, all she has to do is stick to the path and avoid talking to strangers...but there's a groovy beat in the darkest part of the woods, and every young girl is up for adventure! When she crosses paths with a bad-ass Wolf, Red's journey takes a turn that she never expected.

Says Kempson: 'Our annual panto tradition brings our whole community together, whether you're looking for something naughty or something to share with your family. This year, with an internationally-celebrated writer and director, it's sure to tickle your funny bone and get you singing along.'

RED!... A Big Bad Wolf Panto is written by Rebecca Northan (writer of 2023's hit production, Jack: A Beanstalk Panto), with music supervision and arrangements by Jeff Newberry. It will be directed by Aurora Browne (Baroness Von Sketch), with music director Scott Pietrangelo and choreographer MJ Shaw. A signature of the Capitol panto, scheduled performances include both family-friendly and "naughty" adult-oriented versions of the show. Both versions run from November 20 to December 27.

Red! A Big Bad Wolf Panto features an all-star cast including: Zoë O'Connor as Red, and Paul Bates as Wolf, with Gabi Epstein, Nicky Nasrallah, Colin Asuncion, Alex Furber, Malinda Carroll, and Griffin Hewitt, with musician Justin Han.

The creative team includes Adam Campbell (sound design), Joe Pagnan (set design), Joyce Padua (costume design), and Michelle Ramsay (lighting design).

HOLIDAYS AT THE CAPITOL

November 20 to December 31, 2026

In addition to the panto, Holidays at the Capitol includes the 30th Annual Festival of Lights and Trees. Since its inception in 1997, this annual fundraising initiative has been a community favourite, becoming a yearly tradition for guests of all ages, while also raising essential operating funds for the Capitol Theatre. Visitors can enjoy a winter wonderland of holiday wreaths and Christmas trees decorated by local businesses and community organisations, and enter to win the decorations through the theatre's popular yearly raffle.