Sandcastle Theatre will be holding auditions June 11th and 12th at First United Church for their Owen Sound production of Harry Potter – the Panto, which will be performed in December, 2017. Auditions are open to ages 8 to adult.

After last December's successful production of Peter Pan: the Panto (2016) which involved over 150 children, teens and adults from across Grey-Bruce-Simcoe, . Sandcastle Theatre is very excited to be presenting Harry Potter: the Panto this Christmas season. The hilarious musical will be performed in four different communities – Port Elgin, Owen Sound, Collingwood and for the first time in Walkerton– each with a different, local cast.

Pantos – or Pantomimes - are very popular in England and are generally performed between Christmas and New Year. Over the last several years, this form of theatre has become more popular in other countries, including Canada. Past Sandcastle Theatre panto productions also include Cinderella (2015) and Peter Pan (2016)

The production, directed by Stephanie Fowler with musical director, Jackie Rose Brown, will tell tales of magic with singing and dancing, physical comedy and jokes for all ages, plus opportunities for audience participation. Audience members will cheer for the hero and boo the villain and even get up on stage as magical helpers.

Sandcastle Theatre's production is loosely based on the story of Harry Potter. However, because it is an original script, it is possible to include local references and current events into the plot and dialogue. This will make each production (Collingwood, Saugeen Shores, Owen Sound, and Walkerton) slightly different from the others.

Sandcastle Theatre was established in 2002 to offer young people in Grey-Bruce & Simcoe the opportunity to experience engaging theatre programs and performances. Since founding this non-profit, artistic director Stephanie Fowler has provided inspiring professional arts experiences to hundreds of young people in communities throughout the region and has brought performances to thousands more.

One of Sandcastle Theatre's mandates is to make the arts more accessible for young people and their families. With a large production like this, it is possible to cast a large number of actors, and there are both large and smaller roles available – making Harry Potter: the Panto a great opportunity for people who have always wanted to give acting a try.

Auditions are held in small groups for approximately 1 hour. They are designed to be very low-pressure and fun for everyone. Anyone who is interested in auditioning must book an audition time in advance by visiting the Sandcastle Theatre website: www.sandcastletheatre.com/audition/

source: media release, Sandcastle Theatre