What is Panto?

 

Panto is the nickname for British Pantomime: a wildly popular style of theatre common in the U.K., Canada and Australia that takes a little explaining elsewhere

 

Unlike the French-style “mime” (a white-faced character with invisible props who never speaks) the British version of pantomime is very loud, involves a lot of people in theatrical costumes on a theatrical set using very real props, often messy ones

 

Panto is an entertainment for the entire family. The story is usually a well-known tale with a modern twist, with enough silly stuff for the little ones, and over-their-head naughtiness for the grown-ups, and ample opportunities for audience participation.

 

One might expect to experience running gags, goodies, audience volunteers getting onstage, a sing-a-long or cheering competition. 

 

Here is a brief overview of what to expect. 

 

 

Conspicuous Characters

 

The Principal Boy:  Played by a lovely girl, as a boy.

 

The Dame:  Lovable comic man dressed in woman’s clothing, with no question that it might actually be a woman.  The dame is the liaison between the audience and the onstage action equal parts maternal confidante and saucy flirt.

 

The Baddie:  The villain who tries to thwart the hero. Eventually defeated or reformed.

 

The Good Fairy:  Comments on the action directly to the audience and uses magic to move the story along. May need the help of the audience on occasion to work her spells effectively.

 

The Comedy Duo:  Characters who engage in verbal improvisation and physical comedy, often involving the audience.  Think Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, even the Three Stooges (well, two of them).

 

 

The “Slosh Scene”

The “slosh scene” may involve a pie in the face, a bucket of something on someone’s head, an overflowing pot or some other generally messy circumstance.

 

 

The Chase

At some point somebody will probably be involved in some sort of a chase.

 

 

Other Onstage Traditions

• Characters may throw things to (or at) the audience

• Magic is often performed in poetry

• The show ends in rhyming couplets

• Some characters speak directly to the audience, some don’t.

 

Backstage Traditions and Superstitions

• The actors will never speak the last line of the show aloud until the opening night performance.

• Actors mustn’t rehearse bows until their performance deserves them.

• If an actress trips over the hem of her dress, she must pick it up and kiss it, to placate the faeries who tripped her.

 

 

So pile your grannies and toddlers into the mini-van and come on down to a Panto performance. Bring your sense of wonder (and your wallet) and remember, whatever you do, DON’T MIFF THE FAERIE!