LONDON: Britain’s only Muslim pantomime is being added to the country’s largest pantomime collection spanning four centuries of British pantomime history, organizers have said.
The University of Kent’s David Drummond Pantomime Collection is adding “Cinder’Aliyah: The Great Muslim Pantomime,” a retelling of the classic fairy-tale “Cinderella,” said the U.K.-based humanitarian charity The Penny Appeal.
The Penny Appeal said, “The inclusion of ‘Cinder’ Aaliyah in the David Drummond Pantomime Collection is a historic moment, as it is the first Muslim-themed pantomime to be included in the archive.” “This further highlights the growing diversity of British pantomime and its ability to entertain and educate.”
The collection will make ‘Cinder’ Aaliyah available for viewing by students, academics and theater practitioners. Hope it inspires future generations of artists, writers and audiences alike.
The award-winning Muslim pantomime, which is touring the UK for the second consecutive year from 9 December to 29 January, was first performed in 2021 and has since been seen by thousands across the country.
It is the story of a young Pakistani girl trapped and exploited by her evil stepmother and jealous step-sisters. The proceeds of the show are raising funds for the survivors of the recent devastating floods in Pakistan.
Following the tour, items from the show, including costumes and show posters, will be donated to the University of Kent’s Special Collections and Archives – a unique and distinguished collection of items that have been preserved and made accessible for the benefit of teaching, scholarship and society. ,
University Archivist Beth Estridge said: “We are delighted to receive this donation from this magnificent pantomime to the Special Collections and Archives of Kent, to preserve it for the future and to make it available for research and public enjoyment.”
He added: “Pantomime has long been a research and teaching force here, and we are fortunate to have such an incredible collection at our fingertips.”
Estridge also stated that “this latest addition will enable us to continue our important work to accurately represent the voices and perspectives of our communities and audiences within our collection collections, allowing us to celebrate cultural diversity and New research in history and to support current performances will be allowed.
“As the recent AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) project ‘Beyond the Binary’ has shown, by working hand-in-hand in archives, engaging with diverse communities and practitioners, we can help unlock this traditional and ever-new understanding of Let’s continue – changing performance style.
Writer and director Abdullah Afzal – best known for starring in BBC’s “Citizen Khan” – said he was grateful and delighted to be part of the first Muslim-themed pantomime within this historic collection.
Afzal said, “Modern Britain is a beacon of inclusivity and diversity, so it seems only right that we should reflect this in our theater history.” “‘Cinder Aaliyah’ is an incredibly light-hearted yet educational take on the classic fairy tale, and it’s great that it will be recorded for generations to come. It’s a testament to the hard work of our cast and crew that This production is now part of British theater history!
According to the 2021 census, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the UK and Muslims now number around 3.9 million or 6.5 per cent of the population.