This festive season, humanitarian charity Penny Appeal is presenting a world first – a Super Hero pantomime by Muslims. The Great Muslim Panto premieres its 2019 show ‘Super Souls’ and is coming to Hackney on 4th December.
The pantomime is created from inception to delivery by the Once Upon a Family theatre production company, a Muslim family cast of seven. This year they are gracing the stage with internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, Faisal Salah, renowned polymath and creative powerhouse, Hassen Rasool and comedic YouTube sensation who has generated over a million online views, SMASHBengali.
The story revolves around the strength and power that lies within each and every one of us – even when we feel most powerless, all it takes is a good intention and a little nudge in the right direction. The story showcases three individuals with visual, hearing and speech impediments; the narrative dispels the myth that having a disability or simply being different, means we can’t achieve greatness. The simple fact that each person is different in one way or another, be it race, religion or ability, can be used as a reason for unity, rather than division. The show is a fun reinvention of the classic panto, while keeping the much-loved elements of slapstick comedy, crazy costumes and silly songs.
From the 4th to the 22nd of December, ‘Super Souls’ is being performed in aid of Penny Appeal’s Winter Emergency appeal, which supports communities all over the globe with winter essentials, such as food, warm clothing, blankets and vital shelter repairs. As always, charity begins at home, so this year Penny Appeal is also helping the less fortunate right here in the UK beat the bitter cold by providing these simple gifts of warmth and care.
Mother of the family Anisa “Performing arts is so under-used in both the Muslim and non-Muslim world. Creativity should transgress race, religion and class. Super Souls aims to highlight that no matter how societal norms may perceive you as ‘lesser than’, we all have our own, indisputable strengths.”
4th December 2019 – London – Stoke Newington Town Hall, Stoke Newington, N16 0JR
Tickets: https://pennyappeal.org/panto
