A Christmas Pantomime Bratman hits the stage for a bigger cause

Annual Christmas Pantomime Bratman at The Little Theatre supports arts, healthcare projects, and hospital clowning in Chennai.

The Little Theatre’s annual Christmas Pantomime, Bratman, took the stage on Saturday and runs until Thursday, 19 December, at the Museum Theatre in Egmore.

Beneath the undertones on the fun and frolic , Bratman being their 28th Christmas panto is the lifeline for the arts and healthcare project year-round. “This Christmas Panto is our one and only fundraiser for all of The Little Theatre’s projects,” shares Aysha Rau, Managing Trustee of The Little Theatre.

Hospital Clowning, one of The Little Theatre’s signature initiative in Chennai is about using the power of art and humour to bring joy to children with long-time illnesses. The trust has even built a dedicated 1000 sqaure foot studio at the Children’s Government hospital in Egmore, which suffered during the pandemic, with stolen art supplies, electronics, and even termites taking a toll on what was built for children at the hospital.

“The fundraising is important because we are now looking to extend our hospital clowning, and work with pre-surgery children,” says Ms Aysha. When The Little Theatre first began, the core was about arts and education- conducting theatre workshops for underpriviledged children. Later, this one of a kind happened- hospital clowning with their trained medical clowns who are also actors starring in Bratman.

Aravindan Ramakrishnan, who plays Ratnavel the rat in the panto, is a trained hospital clown on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Children’s Government hospital. “On stage, I need to give it my all which is what I had done today, because it is not just about the show- it is about fundraising for our bigger mission,” he says. They have also launched gentle clowning for the elderly at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Harrington road. “This is about giving patients their power back,” says Rohini Rau of The Little Theatre

Directed by the artistic director Krishnakumar Balasubramanian (KK), Bratman is a tribute to the late Supriya Cheriyan, their oldest actor to have graced the Panto stage. This year’s performance is a magical, musical adventure filled with larger than life superheroes including Bratman and Robit, elves, mischievous ‘caatwoman’, ragtag war boys and many more. Set in the city of Gotham, where Christmas presents go missing, the story of good versus evil plays out, leaving not a “happy ending” but a “happily ever after”- just what a pantomime stands for!