The roots of gender-blind casting are traced way back in history. Considered one of the most quintessentially British traditions, the pantomime is a must for thousands of families around the UK. Cultural historian and writer Christopher Frayling explores the rich and surprising history of British pantomime. Pantomime goes all the way back to the 1500s. After hundreds of frock changes, decades of in-jokes, countless singalongs and not a single identifiable plot, Berwick Kaler is to retire as York Theatre Royals resident panto dame. 0000003751 00000 n What could be more British than the Christmas tradition of going out with the family to see a pantomime? Often a favourite pantomime tradition for adults in the audience, the ancient art of double entendre is an established element of the panto form. They often have strong personal traits and play a key part in the plot (yes, thats twice now Ive talked about plot in a panto blog!). She couldnt fall over. But how could Garrick cash in on the craze and still maintain his position as the defender of 'legitimate' theatre? Professor Jane Moody, Director of the Humanities Research Centre and Professor in the Department of English and Related Literature, takes us on a journey through pantomime's colourful history. He played baddies in commercial pantomimes for years before arriving in York. "It's behind you!" Traditional boys are rare nowadays but they do crop up occasionally. The Magic of Pantomime. The slosh (usually a custard pie, or cake mixture) is usually thrown over the comic. Nowadays the sketch is often accompanied by a song (Ghost Busters, the Monster Mash, etc.). However, before the Theatres Act in 1843 - apart from those performed in patent or licensed theatres - consisted of miming and dancing. Characters who are played as pantomime dames are often, though not exclusively, older, matronly women. Its variety with a narrative.. The strange key to Leno's success - and to the character of the Dame ever since - was his creation of a credible woman whom everyone knows is being played by a man. Just like Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, Leno revelled in the ludicrous logic of nonsense. Pantomimes became associated with the fun and frivolity of the holiday season rather than being denounced as a threat. Damian Cruden, who has co-directed the panto for the past 21 years, said: Berwick has served the people of York and York Theatre Royal with absolute commitment for 40 years. There is very little difference. Perhaps the most famous of all panto traditions are the fundamental pillars of audience participation 'booing' and 'hissing'. Where panto dames have been widely accepted as family-friendly entertainment, drag has historically been, and continues to be, subject to significant discrimination. 0000003493 00000 n The fat clever Pulchinella is the forefather of Mr Punch in Punch and Judy shows; the sly amoral Arlecchino will later become the magical English Harlequin. Booing and Hissing. His career began at the Surrey. The bottom half is a firing squad. She presides over the anarchy which Grimaldi once visited on policemen. I have always been an avid fan: in 2021 I saw three in one day. The slapstick may also have had a secondary purpose. [2] Other examples of dame characters include: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pantomime_dame&oldid=1151578198, This page was last edited on 24 April 2023, at 22:45. One of the things being experienced recently is that a As with all amateur theatre groups, survival is down to how well a production sells. [CDATA[// >%3X,X-83Ip>=0]86?g>mw@-_(B2ErG His career began at the Surrey Theatre in 1886, and his performances particularly his Mother Goose in 1902, which he played alongside a gaggle of live animals came to define the role of the dame as we know her now: the over-the-top, unlucky-in-love, slapstick heart of the show. It combined a storyline from Ovids Metamorphoses and a harlequinade. or at selected cinemas. Not to like pantomime, the journalist Leigh Hunt declared, is not to like love: pantomime is a curious blend of continental and British traditions. and 'Oh yes it is!. I wonder why, in progressive 2016, we still like to see men dress in drag for entertainment Is it appropriate, in this age of inclusion, for middle-age women to be ridiculed by blokes in skirts and too much make-up? Across the UK, children and adults come to their local theatre to be dazzled and thrilled by the spectacle and the fun of pantomime. Modern pantos (partially due to casting constraints) are beginning to feature one-man/woman animal skin roles which often have spoken lines.