Creative Leadership

The Pantomime is a student-produced satirical musical production for the university community, which I wrote and directed

The Pantomime is a winter tradition at Leiden University College The Hague, where I received my B. S.. The show is created by the board, including directors, a producer, costume/props supervisors, and music/dance supervisors. These students are tasked with everything the show needs, including brainstorming ideas, booking the theatre, and arranging rehearsal spaces.
A Disney-like Pantomime promotional image, with the Disney castle replaced by the residential building for LUC.
Pantomime cast: from left to right Ra and Jah (Jasmine’s tiger friends), Jasmine, Aladdin, Sharpay, Ryan, Abu, Magic, Carpet, Genie, and Iago (Jafar not pictured).
Each year, the Pantomime is based on a secretly selected Disney story, and also includes narrators from a different story. My board chose Aladdin as the main story, with Ryan and Sharpay from the High School Musical series narrating.
As director, I was tasked with writing the story and script, running auditions and rehearsals, and collaborating with crew for props, costumes, and lighting. Furthermore,  I wrote the songs for the show, produced the lyric videos to accompany them, and rehearsed with singers while assisting in choreography.
Jasmine and the Tigers’ final pose after singing Zero to Weirdo (based off of Hercules’ Zero to Hero), which I wrote & helped choreograph
Pantomime Board: from left to right props manager, music and dance director, costumes manager, director (myself), director, producer.
My position gave me not only creative freedom, but also the opportunity to learn long-term stress management. Working on the project for 8 months, I learnt to keep calm not only for myself, but for the entire cast and crew that depended on my leadership to help in tumultuous times. Once you’ve had to remake the powerpoint with all of the show’s light and sound cues three times before lunch, not much can fluster you in desperate times.

Feel free to check out some of my favourite short clips from the Pantomime. All of the songs are ones I wrote and musically directed.

Clip: At LUC song (based on Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid) exposing Aladdin to the LUC community and environment
Clip: Zero to Weirdo song (based on Zero to Hero from Hercules) telling the tragic story of the evil villain Jafar