LEADIN:

The UK's first ever Muslim pantomime is touring the UK this Christmas.

"If The Shoe Fits - The Great Muslim Panto" is the brainchild of Penny Appeal, a charity that supports poverty stricken orphans across the world.

STORYLINE

"Oh no he isn't", "Oh yes he is!"

This is the sound of a very modern British pantomime.

Here in east London, rehearsals are underway for what is claimed to be the first Muslim version of the British Christmas tradition.

With actors in traditional Islamic dress and a storyline based on Islamic themes, "If The Shoe Fits" features an entirely Muslim cast who play the typical 'goodies' and 'baddies' found in classic pantomimes.

But the play differs in various cultural ways from the quintessential British Christmas tradition.

Playwright and Director Anisa Kissoon, a mother of five children - some of whom appear in the panto - says that her play features Islamic themes such as care for orphans and the Muslim father of modern medicine Ibn Sina.

The motivation behind staging this unusual performance is charity.

Penny Appeal, which organised the event, is a Muslim charity that fights poverty across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Young volunteers like these work alongside staff to put the finishing touches to a production that has taken many months to arrange.

Aamer Naeem, CEO of the charity, says that the idea for a Muslim pantomime sits well with Penny Appeal's ethos which is both "confidently Muslim" and "comfortably British".

"There's nothing quite as British as a good panto at this time of year. So we're here having fun, collecting money for good causes - orphans and street children around the world. All with that Muslim sprinkle on the top," he says.

Proceeds from the ticket sales of 'If the Shoe Fits' will go towards raising vital funds for Penny Appeal's Orphan Kind programme, which provide nutritious meals, clothes, healthcare, an education and a home to orphans across the world.

Aamer Naeem recognises that some elements of traditional pantomime, such as cross dressing, may not fit with Penny Appeal's Islamic version.

"We don't push the borders where perhaps the community is not ready for it," he explains.

However he thinks that their production may be a stepping stone for Muslim audiences, who do not otherwise attend theatre, to venture out to see more mainstream pantomime like Cinderella and Aladdin.

With the Christmas season well underway in the UK, the British public are out making final preparations for their festive holiday.

Just as Christmas shopping is a key part of the season, it wouldn't be Christmas without a pantomime.

The Theatre Royal in London's Stratford has been staging pantomimes for decades.

Pooja Ghai is the Associate Director at the theatre and is directing the current production of Rapunzel.

As someone who is well versed in the art form she describes the classic elements of pantomime as:

"Cross-dressing, smutty jokes, bawdy humour, going as big or as broad as you can", many of which the Great Muslim Panto has side-stepped.

Those passing by the theatre have varied reactions to the idea of a Muslim pantomime.

Caroline Austin says: "Well I'd go and see a pantomime like that because I've lived in Newham all my life and I'm used to living in a multicultural environment and so it wouldn't be anything different to me. It would just be part of living in Newham, isn't it?"

However Rosina Dalligan admits: "I don't know if it would be first on my list, as the first thing I'd go to just because I don't really know a lot about the culture."

Jane Nugent says: "It would enlighten me, it's diversity and also it's like saying 'Why would you single out one particular ethnicity? You wouldn't want to go and see the Lion King then which is a majority black cast.' It would be so wrong."

Pantomime has a long history in British culture and can be traced back to the Italian theatre of Commedia dell'arte before finding its modern form in eighteenth century London - according to the University of York.

Back at the Muslim pantomime, audiences are starting to arrive.

Many of the panto-goers say that they were encouraged to go because of the unique blend of British and Muslim cultures while supporting a good cause.

Zubair Peerbocus says: "It's good to show people what we do as a community as well. We're not just secluded so we do contribute and do things as a community."

Asfa Williams says that she wants to see theatre that aligns itself with her Muslim values: "We've other pantomimes in London before which cater for a very western society so it would be nice to see something that's more Muslim orientated and hopefully more Halal."

Ehsan Khan, attending with his wife and child, says that a Muslim production sounded interesting and that hopefully his young son will enjoy it too.

"I'd never heard of a Muslim panto before and it sounds quite interesting. The little one might be excited to see it as well."

The show is in full swing and audiences are clearly transfixed by the festive spectacle.

Muslim concepts such as the impermanence of earthly life are deftly woven into the script while there is plenty of the traditional fun that an audience would expect at a classic pantomime – including the cackle of the 'Baddie'.

'If the Shoe Fits – The Great Muslim Panto' is currently touring the UK, with remaining dates in Manchester, Glasgow and Peterborough until 21 December 2017.

London, UK - 16 December 2017

1. Wide of cast of Muslim pantomime in rehearsal shouting (English) "Oh no he isn't", "Oh yes he is!"

2. Various of performers on stage rehearsing

3. Writer/ Director of Muslim pantomime Anisa Kissoon directing cast on stage

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Anisa Kissoon, Writer/ Director, "If the Shoe Fits – The Great Muslim Panto"

"So some of the Islamic elements in the storyline include things like a orphan girl, because charity is massive part of Islam and also historical characters like Ibn Sina who's also known as the father of modern medicine. It was really important that we put those parts in."

5. Various of charity volunteers putting programmes on chairs

6. Various of Aamer Naeem CEO of Penny Appeal charity talking to volunteers

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Aamer Naeem, CEO, Penny Appeal

"We are a confidently Muslim led organisation with a comfortably British culture. So we are always looking for opportunities to do the work that we do at Penny Appeal which is true to that identity. So there's nothing quite as British as a good panto at this time of year. So we're here having fun, collecting money for good causes - orphans and street children around the world. All with that Muslim sprinkle on the top."

8. Various of pantomime characters in rehearsal

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Aamer Naeem, CEO, Penny Appeal

"We've actually stripped out those things that are not actually aligned with Muslim faith. So we don't do the cross-dressing, but we do have all the other usual fun elements you know: 'He's behind you', 'Oh yes he is', 'Oh no he isn't'. So it's true to a lot of the themes of panto, but yes we don't push the borders where perhaps the community is not ready for it. But I do see this as being a stepping stone. We've had people come out to watch this who wouldn't normally go out to watch a panto and actually next year you might find them at the local theatre watching Cinderella and Aladdin as normal anyway."

London, UK - 15 December 2017

10. Christmas shoppers walking past Christmas tree

11. Christmas shoppers walking past festive shop window

12. Close of festive shop window

13. Tilt up Theatre Royal Stratford East, facade

14. Close of poster on wall advertising production of pantomime classic Rapunzel

15. Tilt down from balcony to stage at Theatre Royal Stratford East

16. Pooja Ghai, Associate Director, Theatre Royal Stratford East, chatting on stage

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Pooja Ghai, Associate Director, Theatre Royal Stratford East

"The standard elements of a British pantomime are cross-dressing, smutty jokes, bawdy humour, going as big or as broad as you can, a heightened sense of story telling, topical jokes and big archetypes and themes and ostensibly about coming together and celebrating each other."

18. Mid of Theatre Royal sign on exterior of theatre

19. SOUNDBITE (English) John Corcoran, vox pop

"I see no difficulty, how would I differentiate between one version of story telling and another?"

20. SOUNDBITE (English) Caroline Austin, vox pop

"Well I'd go and see a pantomime like that because I've lived in Newham all my life and I'm used to living in a multicultural environment and so it wouldn't be anything different to me. It would just be part of living in Newham, isn't it?"

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosina Dalligan, vox pop

"I don't know if it would be first on my list, as the first thing I'd go to just because I don't really know a lot about the culture."

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Jane Nugent, vox pop

"It would enlighten me, it's diversity and also it's like saying 'Why would you single out one particular ethnicity? You wouldn't want to go and see the Lion King then which is a majority black cast.' It would be so wrong."

London, UK - 16 December 2017

23. Various of audience members queuing to collect pantomime tickets

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Zubair Peerbocus, panto audience member

"It's good to show people what we do as a community as well. We're not just secluded so we do contribute and do things as a community."

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Asfa Williams, panto audience member

"We've other pantomimes in London before which cater for a very western society so it would be nice to see something that's more Muslim orientated and hopefully more Halal."

26. SOUNDBITE (English) Ehsan Khan, panto audience member

"I'd never heard of a Muslim panto before and it sounds quite interesting. The little one might be excited to see it as well."

27. Mid of toddler

28. Audience watching panto

29. Wide of actors on stage UPSOUND (English): "But you must not get attached. Everything has its time here on the dunya (world). Even a rose, a beautiful rose will wither and die."

30. Pan left from audience booing actor on stage

31. Mid of actor on stage. UPSOUND (English) "Take a look at me, I am so amazing from my head down to my feet. I'm Ego!"

32. Wide of audience booing

33. Mid of poster reading (English) 'The Great Muslim Panto – If the Shoe Fits'

LEADIN:

The UK's first ever Muslim pantomime is touring the UK this Christmas.

"If The Shoe Fits - The Great Muslim Panto" is the brainchild of Penny Appeal, a charity that supports poverty stricken orphans across the world.

STORYLINE

"Oh no he isn't", "Oh yes he is!"

This is the sound of a very modern British pantomime.

Here in east London, rehearsals are underway for what is claimed to be the first Muslim version of the British Christmas tradition.

With actors in traditional Islamic dress and a storyline based on Islamic themes, "If The Shoe Fits" features an entirely Muslim cast who play the typical 'goodies' and 'baddies' found in classic pantomimes.

But the play differs in various cultural ways from the quintessential British Christmas tradition.

Playwright and Director Anisa Kissoon, a mother of five children - some of whom appear in the panto - says that her play features Islamic themes such as care for orphans and the Muslim father of modern medicine Ibn Sina.

The motivation behind staging this unusual performance is charity.

Penny Appeal, which organised the event, is a Muslim charity that fights poverty across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Young volunteers like these work alongside staff to put the finishing touches to a production that has taken many months to arrange.

Aamer Naeem, CEO of the charity, says that the idea for a Muslim pantomime sits well with Penny Appeal's ethos which is both "confidently Muslim" and "comfortably British".

"There's nothing quite as British as a good panto at this time of year. So we're here having fun, collecting money for good causes - orphans and street children around the world. All with that Muslim sprinkle on the top," he says.

Proceeds from the ticket sales of 'If the Shoe Fits' will go towards raising vital funds for Penny Appeal's Orphan Kind programme, which provide nutritious meals, clothes, healthcare, an education and a home to orphans across the world.

Aamer Naeem recognises that some elements of traditional pantomime, such as cross dressing, may not fit with Penny Appeal's Islamic version.

"We don't push the borders where perhaps the community is not ready for it," he explains.

However he thinks that their production may be a stepping stone for Muslim audiences, who do not otherwise attend theatre, to venture out to see more mainstream pantomime like Cinderella and Aladdin.

With the Christmas season well underway in the UK, the British public are out making final preparations for their festive holiday.

Just as Christmas shopping is a key part of the season, it wouldn't be Christmas without a pantomime.

The Theatre Royal in London's Stratford has been staging pantomimes for decades.

Pooja Ghai is the Associate Director at the theatre and is directing the current production of Rapunzel.

As someone who is well versed in the art form she describes the classic elements of pantomime as:

"Cross-dressing, smutty jokes, bawdy humour, going as big or as broad as you can", many of which the Great Muslim Panto has side-stepped.

Those passing by the theatre have varied reactions to the idea of a Muslim pantomime.

Caroline Austin says: "Well I'd go and see a pantomime like that because I've lived in Newham all my life and I'm used to living in a multicultural environment and so it wouldn't be anything different to me. It would just be part of living in Newham, isn't it?"

However Rosina Dalligan admits: "I don't know if it would be first on my list, as the first thing I'd go to just because I don't really know a lot about the culture."

Jane Nugent says: "It would enlighten me, it's diversity and also it's like saying 'Why would you single out one particular ethnicity? You wouldn't want to go and see the Lion King then which is a majority black cast.' It would be so wrong."

Pantomime has a long history in British culture and can be traced back to the Italian theatre of Commedia dell'arte before finding its modern form in eighteenth century London - according to the University of York.

Back at the Muslim pantomime, audiences are starting to arrive.

Many of the panto-goers say that they were encouraged to go because of the unique blend of British and Muslim cultures while supporting a good cause.

Zubair Peerbocus says: "It's good to show people what we do as a community as well. We're not just secluded so we do contribute and do things as a community."

Asfa Williams says that she wants to see theatre that aligns itself with her Muslim values: "We've other pantomimes in London before which cater for a very western society so it would be nice to see something that's more Muslim orientated and hopefully more Halal."

Ehsan Khan, attending with his wife and child, says that a Muslim production sounded interesting and that hopefully his young son will enjoy it too.

"I'd never heard of a Muslim panto before and it sounds quite interesting. The little one might be excited to see it as well."

The show is in full swing and audiences are clearly transfixed by the festive spectacle.

Muslim concepts such as the impermanence of earthly life are deftly woven into the script while there is plenty of the traditional fun that an audience would expect at a classic pantomime – including the cackle of the 'Baddie'.

'If the Shoe Fits – The Great Muslim Panto' is currently touring the UK, with remaining dates in Manchester, Glasgow and Peterborough until 21 December 2017.

London, UK - 16 December 2017

1. Wide of cast of Muslim pantomime in rehearsal shouting (English) "Oh no he isn't", "Oh yes he is!"

2. Various of performers on stage rehearsing

3. Writer/ Director of Muslim pantomime Anisa Kissoon directing cast on stage

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Anisa Kissoon, Writer/ Director, "If the Shoe Fits – The Great Muslim Panto"

"So some of the Islamic elements in the storyline include things like a orphan girl, because charity is massive part of Islam and also historical characters like Ibn Sina who's also known as the father of modern medicine. It was really important that we put those parts in."

5. Various of charity volunteers putting programmes on chairs

6. Various of Aamer Naeem CEO of Penny Appeal charity talking to volunteers

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Aamer Naeem, CEO, Penny Appeal

"We are a confidently Muslim led organisation with a comfortably British culture. So we are always looking for opportunities to do the work that we do at Penny Appeal which is true to that identity. So there's nothing quite as British as a good panto at this time of year. So we're here having fun, collecting money for good causes - orphans and street children around the world. All with that Muslim sprinkle on the top."

8. Various of pantomime characters in rehearsal

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Aamer Naeem, CEO, Penny Appeal

"We've actually stripped out those things that are not actually aligned with Muslim faith. So we don't do the cross-dressing, but we do have all the other usual fun elements you know: 'He's behind you', 'Oh yes he is', 'Oh no he isn't'. So it's true to a lot of the themes of panto, but yes we don't push the borders where perhaps the community is not ready for it. But I do see this as being a stepping stone. We've had people come out to watch this who wouldn't normally go out to watch a panto and actually next year you might find them at the local theatre watching Cinderella and Aladdin as normal anyway."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

London, UK - 15 December 2017

10. Christmas shoppers walking past Christmas tree

11. Christmas shoppers walking past festive shop window

12. Close of festive shop window

13. Tilt up Theatre Royal Stratford East, facade

14. Close of poster on wall advertising production of pantomime classic Rapunzel

15. Tilt down from balcony to stage at Theatre Royal Stratford East

16. Pooja Ghai, Associate Director, Theatre Royal Stratford East, chatting on stage

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Pooja Ghai, Associate Director, Theatre Royal Stratford East

"The standard elements of a British pantomime are cross-dressing, smutty jokes, bawdy humour, going as big or as broad as you can, a heightened sense of story telling, topical jokes and big archetypes and themes and ostensibly about coming together and celebrating each other."

18. Mid of Theatre Royal sign on exterior of theatre

19. SOUNDBITE (English) John Corcoran, vox pop

"I see no difficulty, how would I differentiate between one version of story telling and another?"

20. SOUNDBITE (English) Caroline Austin, vox pop

"Well I'd go and see a pantomime like that because I've lived in Newham all my life and I'm used to living in a multicultural environment and so it wouldn't be anything different to me. It would just be part of living in Newham, isn't it?"

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosina Dalligan, vox pop

"I don't know if it would be first on my list, as the first thing I'd go to just because I don't really know a lot about the culture."

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Jane Nugent, vox pop

"It would enlighten me, it's diversity and also it's like saying 'Why would you single out one particular ethnicity? You wouldn't want to go and see the Lion King then which is a majority black cast.' It would be so wrong."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

London, UK - 16 December 2017

23. Various of audience members queuing to collect pantomime tickets

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Zubair Peerbocus, panto audience member

"It's good to show people what we do as a community as well. We're not just secluded so we do contribute and do things as a community."

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Asfa Williams, panto audience member

"We've other pantomimes in London before which cater for a very western society so it would be nice to see something that's more Muslim orientated and hopefully more Halal."

26. SOUNDBITE (English) Ehsan Khan, panto audience member

"I'd never heard of a Muslim panto before and it sounds quite interesting. The little one might be excited to see it as well."

27. Mid of toddler

28. Audience watching panto

29. Wide of actors on stage UPSOUND (English): "But you must not get attached. Everything has its time here on the dunya (world). Even a rose, a beautiful rose will wither and die."

30. Pan left from audience booing actor on stage

31. Mid of actor on stage. UPSOUND (English) "Take a look at me, I am so amazing from my head down to my feet. I'm Ego!"

32. Wide of audience booing

33. Mid of poster reading (English) 'The Great Muslim Panto – If the Shoe Fits'