Let me share with you the story of how the East Van Panto started…

I co-founded TR with fellow artist James Long back in 2004. We started making experimental and intercultural new works, and touring them around the world. We made a lot of friends along the way and had the chance to see some incredible performances. After nearly a decade of this, we really missed Vancouver. While we were based here, we were mostly presenting our work out of town. At that time, we also started to have families. We wanted to make a show that they could be a part of — a show that shared everything we’d learned from being on the road and seeing incredible performances. We dreamed about a show that would celebrate the East Van community that we knew and loved. We learned that there’s no place like home.

At around the same time, another dreamer, Heather Redfern, Executive Director of The Cultch, was figuring out how to re-open The York Theatre. We approached her about this idea we had, to make a holiday show that would bring together families and friends and spotlight East Van, and voila — the East Van Panto was born! Jack and the Beanstalk was the first show that went up at the newly christened York Theatre in December of 2013; the paint was literally still drying as we opened the show. Fast forward to nearly 12 years later, and the East Van Panto is a show like no other in Vancouver. It’s grown up around our incredible arts community here; it brings together around 80 artists, technicians, production staff, arts workers, theatre students and neighbourhood kids to make it all happen each year. Robin Hood will be our 12th Panto, and we’re so excited to share our take on this classic with you!

The East Van Panto is a love letter to our city. Every time a new Panto gets made it passes a contagious spark through our creative teams; our eyes light up with all the possibilities, local references, songs and jokes we can include. We work so hard to bring these Pantos to life, and it’s no small feat! But we do it because of the joy it brings. I’ll say it — the Panto is one of the most joy-filled things I get to do each year! I’m so grateful that we get to create them, and I just want to keep creating them so that we can share this love with all of you, and invite more people into the incredible East Van Panto family.

We still make new shows and tour them around. Right now, I’m working on a new show called End of Greatness, alongside our beloved Panto composer and Musical Director, Veda Hille, premiering in our 2025/26 season. We also produce a suite of programs that help to uplift the work of Vancouver artists — artists who are interested in taking their work to other places, because we know full well what that did for TR. It gave us the perspective we needed to see what could be possible here at home. The Panto is a wonderful, theatrical experiment. It requires amazing collaborators (check!) and partners (check!), and most importantly, a willing and loyal audience (check check check!).

Thanks for taking the time to read this! If you love the East Van Panto, I’d like to ask you to do three things. Come to the show this year – I promise you that you’re in for a treat. One thing about being in year 12 of making Pantos is that we’ve gotten really good at it! And second, visit our website at theatrereplacement.org to learn more about us. We put the same love we dedicate to our Pantos into everything we do and you may enjoy some of our other shows and projects. And lastly — and maybe most importantly in this moment for the live and performing arts — consider making a donation to support Theatre Replacement and ensure that we can keep doing what we do, including making East Van Pantos for all of you!

Thank you for all your support and see you at East Van Panto: Robin Hood!

xo
Maiko Yamamoto
Artistic Director, Theatre Replacement