The third wave of panto for the season, following the by the Fraser Valley Gilbert & Sullivan Society, and White Rock Players Club鈥檚 鈥� still running at the Coast Capital Playhouse 鈥� has begun.

rolls into Surrey Arts Centre Theatre (13750 88 Ave.) for a Dec. 16-31 run.

Pantomime connoisseurs who like their seasonal treat 鈥� like their candies 鈥� with a distinctly British flavour will no doubt wish to sample the version served up by King鈥檚 Surrey-based Royal Canadian Theatre Company.

And this year鈥檚 show is British to the core, in that it purports to retell the legend of how young Arthur came to be King of the Britons by extracting said blade (Excalibur) from said rock formation.

鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 a panto,鈥� said King, artistic director and founder of RCTC, who cut her teeth in the idiom in the environs of her native land. 鈥淥bviously, because it鈥檚 such a well-loved legend there are many versions; one that Camelot was in North Wales, another that it was at the site of Tintagel Castle, in Cornwall.

鈥淚n my version, Arthur, with the help of two gnomes, G鈥橬igel and G鈥橬orman, travels down from Wales to Camelot in Cornwall, because that鈥檚 where Excalibur is 鈥� and if anyone has a problem with that, I鈥檒l whip out my artistic license and show 鈥檈m.鈥�

Lest one think the show might be too mired in history, the 91原创 resident is quick to point out that Arthur (played by Mandy Tulloch) has grown up with the Welsh family of Widow Blodwyn Jones (Alan Cedargreen in accustomed Dame mode), who operates the local shop/post office, and her children Rhea (Jennifer Campbell) and Dai (White Rock鈥檚 Scott Townsend).

鈥淚鈥檝e written in one of the comedy set pieces from the 19th century, set in the store 鈥� I always like to include one of those as an homage to the traditions of panto,鈥� King said.

But while the show is a rework of her 1994 Metro Theatre production, there is considerable new material, including an original song, Camelot, co-written by King and her husband and musical director Geoff. She鈥檚 also streamlined the show to make it more family friendly, she added.

鈥淚 think this year we鈥檝e come in under the two-hour mark 鈥� I say I鈥檓 trying to do that every year, but this time I think we鈥檝e done it.鈥�

Count on a panto brimming with fun, nevertheless, King said 鈥� as well as all the usual silly gags.

There鈥檚 a beautiful heroine, Guinevere, played by Claurien Zanoria, a wonderful 鈥渨izzard鈥� 鈥� Merlin (Bob Wilson), a magic mirror and characters with names likes Owen Money and Amaryllis Plant.

There are Druids, trolls, sheperdesses and at least one dragon: the diminuitive Idris, played by young Holly TenHaaf.

And all the requisite villainy, of course, some of it courtesy of Morgana Le Fay (Kerri Norris), with overall chaos supplied by a distinctly Scottish Demon King (鈥渃all him McDemon,鈥� King said) played by son James.

鈥淗e鈥檚 been after me to do the Demon King as a Scot for years, and last year we had a Scottish good fairy, so I no longer have any excuse not to let him,鈥� she said.

Any doubt that this is a family panto should be dispelled by the presence of two very junior members of the Elchesen clan, Cayleigh (only 2陆  鈥� some kind of a record, possibly) and her sister Aeron, 5, who takes the role of G鈥橬igel.

But there鈥檚 also a plenty of experienced panto talent, courtesy of such King regulars as Cedargreen, Norris and Tulloch.

鈥淢andy is the compleat principal boy,鈥� notes King, a high compliment from one who has worn the tights herself.

鈥淪he鈥檚 been doing a lot of work with Excalibur. There鈥檚 a fair bit of sword fighting in the show, particularly when Arthur fights the 鈥榰ltimate horror鈥� that lives in the castle鈥� but that鈥檚 another story.鈥�

For tickets, call 604-501-5566, or visit www.rctheatreco.com