Pantomimes

Pantomimes are a traditional part of English theatre and have been for the last three centuries. They are generally based on childrens’ stories and involve lots of slapstick comedy, buffoonery and audience interaction. Today, pantomimes are associated with the Christmas period and whether they are performed in a west end theatre by a cast of stars or in a local village by amateur actors they are always considered to be great family entertainment.

A Short History of the Pantomime

Nobody is absolutely positive where the idea for pantomimes came from, however, the general consensus is that they originated from an Italian art form called Commedia dell’Arte. This form of theatre was performed by travelling entertainers on the streets of Italy and used music, dance, comedy and general buffoonery to tell an age-old tale. Commedia dell’Arte was popular during the middle ages in Italy and it didn’t take long for it to spread to the nearby country of France and then on to England.

By the 1650s traditional characters from Commedia dell’Arte sketches began to appear in English plays, mostly as the fool or jester. Then in 1716 the first official pantomime opened at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane and quickly became the box office hit of the year. Other pantomimes in other theatres followed and the comedy acting form became popular throughout England. At the time, pantomimes were performed at all times of the year and no one is really sure when they first became a Christmas entertainment. Today, pantomimes are big business for theatres and millions of families flock to see them every year.

The Classic Pantomimes

There are a number of children’s stories that are regularly performed as pantomimes, including the following:

• Cinderella – this is a rags to riches tale of a beautiful young girl who is kept as a slave by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. It contains magic in the form of a fairy godmother, a prince, a ball and of course a happy ending. Modern versions of the tale also have a number of additional characters that add to the fun pantomime atmosphere and the performance.
• Jack and the Beanstalk – this tale has everything a pantomime needs to be funny including a stupid hero, an evil giant who wants to eat the stupid hero, magic beans that grow into a beanstalk and two people dressed up as a cow. Jack, being the hero, is usually played by a female while his mother is often played by a man dressed as a woman – just to add a comedy element to the play.
• Aladdin – the story of Aladdin is centuries old and tells of how a young selfish man uses a magic lamp, complete with a magic genie, to gain wealth and a princess as his wife. A sorcerer steals the lamp though – and everything Aladdin owns – and the hero has to prove his worth to get it all back. Again the pantomime has all of the elements that children find exciting including magic, a hero, a wicked sorcerer and a princess – plus it has a moral as well.
• Snow White – Snow White has something that most other pantomimes don’t and that is seven dwarves. These dwarves find Snow White after she has been poisoned by her wicked stepmother and they keep her alive until they can find a prince to bring her back to life. The story has a magic mirror that talks, seven funny dwarves, a wicked stepmother and a handsome prince to save the day. Snow White is the ultimate fairy tale and when it is performed as a pantomime it has more laughs than most.
• Dick Whittington – this pantomime is also known as Puss in Boots and is another rags to riches story. This time, however, it involves a young lad who travels to London with his cat to make his fortune. Dick and his cat fall on hard times before finally becoming the Mayor of London. As well as a cat and a host of funny characters – including the Queen in some versions – Dick Whittington also has a moral which most children do see in the tale.

Going to a Pantomime

All pantomimes, regardless of how big and star-studded they are, have a few things in common. To start with all pantomimes have costumes and stage scenery which bring the performance to life. The big theatres in the major cities will also have lighting effects and special effects that help to make the magic look real.

All pantomimes also have the element of comedy. This is a special type of comedy though that can easily be understood by children of all ages. The actors make a point of doing silly things, falling over and generally being larger than life – the result being a captivating performance that you can’t help but laugh at. There is often the odd double-entendre as well that only the adults pick up on and this adds to their enjoyment of the pantomime.

The main factor though that makes a pantomime stand out from other forms of theatre is the audience interaction. Throughout the performance the actors continually talk to the audience and in most cases encourage some form of response. This is undoubtedly an important part of the pantomime tradition and something that all spectators enjoy.

Conclusion – British Pantomimes

Pantomimes are a popular form of Christmas entertainment in the UK and many run for up to three months of the year. Stars and celebrities love to take part and the theatres with the biggest names are sold out night after night. Pantomimes today often have a valuable moral and so as well as being fun for the family, they can also teach youngsters something about the way of life – even if they don’t realise it at the time. Their primary goal, however, is to make people laugh and with the constant slapstick comedy, silly buffoonery and audience interaction it is very unusual for them not to do this.