Sandcastle Theatre will be holding auditions June 11 and 15 at Faith Lutheran Church for their Saugeen Shores musical production of Harry Potter: the Panto. Auditions are open to ages 8 to adult and the performance is set to hit the stage in December, 2017.

“After last year’s very successful production of Peter Pan - the Panto, which involved over 150 children, teens and adults across Grey-Bruce-Simcoe, Sandcastle Theatre is very excited to be presenting Harry Potter: the Panto this Christmas season,” said a May 19 media release.

In addition to Port Elgin, the musical will also be performed in Owen Sound, Collingwood and Walkerton; each with a different, local cast.

Pantos, or pantomimes, are popular in England, are generally performed between Christmas and New Year, and have gained popularity in other countries including Canada.

The production, directed by Stephanie Fowler with musical director Jackie Rose Brown, will tell tales of magic with singing and dancing and promises physical comedy plus opportunities for audience participation. Loosely based on story of Harry Potter, it is possible the original script will be adapted to include local references and current events.

One of Sandcastle Theatre’s aim is to make the arts more accessible to young people and their families and Harry Potter: the Panto offers a large cast with both large and smaller roles available.

Auditions are held in small groups for approximately one hour and are designed to be very low pressure and fun for everyone. Anyone wishing in auditioning is required to book an audition time in advance at sandcastletheatre.com/audition.

Auditions will be held on Sunday, June 11 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and on Thursday, June 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.