Drama Beat
If you are looking for something fun to do with the kids over the holidays, check out New West Theatre’s production of Munsch-o-Ram
a, which runs at 1 p.m. at Casa every afternoon until Jan. 5.
The energetic, colourful and hilarious production features the talented trio Camille Pavlenko, Kelly Malcolm and Ryan Reese racing to break a record by act out five popular Robert Munsch stories in less than an hour in their Munsch Olympics.
They do a great job and don’t even seem to be out of breath after all the frenetic racing around, multiple accents, costumes, props and comedy they pack into the show.
It is geared towards children of course, but adults are sure to crack a smile even at the crowd participation as they tap into their young audience’s enthusiasm.
The actors all play multiple characters and each take a turn as narrator in director/playwright Jeremy Mason’s adaptation of the five popular Robert Munsch stories.
The colourful stage features a handful of simple set pieces including three boxes, a barrel and a ramp, which play as many roles as the actors do.
They start by introducing friends Camille and Ryan and meet Kelly, asking her to join in the Munch Olympics and the proceed to race around and play like big kids.
The show has a good, strong start with Something Good which is about the adventures of a kid in a supermarket as Camille’s southern dad, Ryan, gets tired of his daughter putting junk food in their shopping cart and tells her not to move, which she takes literally and comedy ensues as Kelly Malcolm plays an array of characters including a supermarket worker who puts a price tag on her mistaking her for a doll, then a customer who tries to buy her. Camille doesn’t say a world but is provides a lot of laughs with just her facial expressions.
“Fatt” Matt Alaeddine billed himself as the world’s fattest contortionist. 
