Waterworks Players will present the pantomime “May the Farce Be with You” to celebrate the holiday season. Beloved by children and adults alike, pantomimes are as much a part of Christmas throughout the British Isles as singing carols, trimming the tree and exchanging presents.   

“Pantomimes are melodramatic presentations of familiar nursery rhymes or children’s tales that combine song, dance, and slapstick comedy,” Mary Jo Stockton, who grew up in Scotland and directs her fourth production, said.  “At home they are called pantomimes, but it’s not the same as a mime. You get the story with a twist.”

In this year’s production, “Star Wars” meshes with “Jack and the Beanstalk” to produce a tale the entire family will enjoy.

The story opens with villain Garth Invader (Jordan Whiley) and his daughter Ada Invader (Brittni Cogdell) planning galactic domination.

To thwart Garth’s evil plans, heroic space warrior Luke Warmwater (Greg Tsigaridas) sets off on an inter-galactic mission to the other side of the universe with his two female robots, STROP (Leigh Lunsford) and PMT (Christy Moore). But Luke is forced to seek refuge in a strange garden containing a beanstalk, so large it is visible from outer space!

But how did this beanstalk come to be?  You do know the story, don’t you? 

Jack (Brandon Nuckols) is ordered by his mother Nellie (Chris Klinger) to sell the family cow Demi Moooer (Sarabeth Roberts and Andre Henke).

The poor cow no longer provides enough milk, so the family must sell her to be able to pay the overdue rent to the mean landlord (Tiffany Lewis). Jack, however, manages to exchange the cow for a handful of “magic” beans from an unscrupulous trader (Ronnie Kiehm).

Frustrated when Jack returns, Nellie throws the beans on the ground that grows overnight to a land inhabited by a giant and his wife (Pam Wright).

Jack climbs the beanstalk and is followed by his sweetheart Annabelle (Sherri Davenport) to raid the Giant’s castle in the sky. Numerous encounters occur with Garth and his super troopers, not to mention a goose that lays golden eggs. Heroism and silliness abound.

“May the Farce Be with You” continues Saturday at 7 p.m. with matinees at 2 and 5 p.m. Tickets are $5; visit waterworksplayers.org or call (434) 392-3452.