December
2003
issue
of 'Young Performer' Magazine.
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Untitled Document
Pantomime started in Italy, 500
years ago. Characters came and went. Some changed
names, others vanished. Harlequin emerged as the
strong lead character, along with Columbine, Pantaloon,
and for a while Pulchinello. In Britain, Pulchinello
became Mr. Punch, the hand puppet, once popular
at the seaside.
Fifty years ago there were 300 Punch and Judy men
on the beaches of Britain, but now there are about
eight. You can still see them at Broadstairs, Llandudno,
Clacton and Weymouth.
Last Christmas
Nigel Ellacott and Peter Robbins were
Ugly Sisters at His Majesty's Theatre,
Aberdeen. This Christmas you can catch
them at the Opera House, Manchester.
They are experts in the history and
tradition of the pantomime, and have
written all about it on their website,
www.its-behind-you.com. Nigel has also
written over 20 pantomime scripts.
The earliest pantomimes were
performed in Britain about 300 years ago. They were
a fast and furious entertainment, full of slapstick
humour.
In fact, the word "slapstick"
was invented for pantomime. The Harlequin, a standard
figure in early pantomimes, was a magical figure with
many- coloured clothes. He carried a wooden stick. It
had a hinged flap, which made a loud "slapping"
noise when he hit other actors with it.
Early pantomimes were called "ballet- pantomimes."
There was The Loves of Mars and Venus in 1717, followed
by Harlequin Sorcerer.
These were also called harlequinades. The clown would
have chase scenes. He jumped through windows, and re-appeared
through trap doors.
The clown would make certain he tipped the "catchers",
the stage hands who stood waiting to catch him, otherwise
they might drop him. There was usually a scene where he
would grease the doorstep of the butcher's shop with butter,
to outwit his pursuers.
In 1773 the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane presented the
first pantomime story that has a presented the first pantomime
story that has a direct descendant today, Jack the Giant
Killer. Nine years later came Robinson Crusoe, then Aladdin,
and finally in 1804 Cinderella.
The Fairy always enters from
the right (stage right) and the demon from
the left (stage left). This may be because,
in older theatres, the stage trap through
which the Demon rose was generally located
on the left.
But it may not. When we throw salt over our
shoulder for good luck, the tradition is that
we throw it in the devil's face - and it's
our left shoulder. When your left palm itches,
it is supposed to be a sign that you will
be poor: if it's the right, you'll be rich.
The left ear itching indicates that someone
is speaking ill of you, and the opposite applies
to your right ear.
Traditionally, when speaking, the pantomime
fairy should transfer her wand from her right
hand to her left, to protect her heart from
the Demon King.
The most famous pantomime clown
in those days was Joseph Grimaldi, who made his
first appearance in 1800.To this day, clowns are
called "Joeys" in his memory. People left
his performances at Sadlers Wells and Drury Lane
singing the comic choruses of his songs.
Grimaldi started the tradition of the Pantomime
Dame, a man dressed as a woman. His Dames included
Queen Rondabellyana in Harlequin and the Red Dwarf
and Dame Cecily Suet in Harlequin Whittington.
The Pantomime Dame is usually the hero's mother:
Widow Twankey in Aladdin or Dame Trott in Jack and
the Beanstalk. Often the Dame's costumes would mimic
the fashions of the day, just as they do today.
The Ugly Sisters differ from the Dame. They have
to be both funny and villainous. It's hard to keep
the balance. For comedy, you have to get the audience's
sympathy - but then you must turn on the villainy
to bully Cinderella.
In a pantomime the last lines
spoken, traditionally in rhyming couplets,
are not heard in rehearsal. They are spoken
for the first time on the opening night.
The last people to appear onstage in a pantomime
finale are traditionally the Principal Boy
and Girl, who walk down to take their bow
after the star of the show.
Pantomimes have to have 'The Songsheet', which
means community singing, usually led by the
principal comedian. He brings children onto
the stage, and gives out chocolate.
Green is thought to be an unlucky colour on
stage. This can cause problems if the pantomime
happens to be Robin Hood.
Clapping in the wings is regarded as very
unlucky. Pantomime actors used to clap a 'Slapstick'
loudly, to indicate to the stage crew it was
time to change the scenery. A clap could be
mistaken for this.
Mother Goose was created
at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1902 for the famous
comedian Dan Leno. Tempted by the Demon King, the Dame
sells Priscilla to him in exchange for youth and beauty.
Dan Leno established the method of using well known personalities
to top the bill in pantomimes. Today, his place may be
taken by a famous soap star.
In traditional pantomime, the Principal Boy is played
by a girl. It made the names of many famous actresses.
But 50 years ago, men started to play the Principal Boy.
In the 1950s the part was taken by people like Sir Cliff
Richard.
But that was short-lived. More recently, stars like Barbara
Windsor, Cilla Black and Anita Harris have taken the part.
Today, you may find the Principal Boy played either by
a woman or a man.
Pantomime could not survive without its chorus of dancers.
Choruses are smaller than they used to be - today they
are probably only six to eight strong. "Traditional"
pantomime still breaks box office records all over the
country. It changes with the fashion. But a visit to a
pantomime is still many children's first experience of
live theatre.
In Britain, pantomime means a festive entertainment, mostly
late Victorian in where women often play the heroic male
role, and men play the "Dame" role, a comedian
in skirts. It's a mixture of fairy story, spectacle, song
and dance, with much emphasis on audience participation.
A ghost scene requires children
to call out 'It's Behind You!' The traditional
'Oh, yes it is!' is always followed by the
children shouting 'Oh, no it isn't' just as
their great grandparents did.
But in the United States of America
it means a mime - a performer who needs no words
to express himself. Americans use the word in its
original meaning.
In the 1870s, pantomimes began
to restrict themselves to a few favourite
stories, mostly the ones we know today. The
popular ones were Cinderella, Dick Whittington,
Jack and the Beanstalk, Mother Goose, and
a few others.
Babes in the Wood eventually
merged with Robin Hood at Drury Lane Theatre
in 1857, and they are still performed as
one panto.
Puss In Boots dates from an Italian version
of 1534. Aladdin begun as one of the tales
from the Arabian Nights. The first Dick
Whittington pantomime was at Covent Garden
in 1814.
Here is Nigel and Peter's
selection of books about pantomime.
• Slapstick and Sausages
- The Evolution of British Pantomime
by Norman Robbins (2003), published by Trapdoor
Publications, 41, Post Hill, Tiverton, Devon.EX16
4NG.
Writer and performer Norman Robbins describes his
book as "not a history, just a broad outline
of how British pantomime evolved." He gives
the origins of many "traditional" gags
and who devised them.
• The
Pantomime Book by Paul Harris (1996),
published by Peter Owen. The only known collection
of pantomime jokes and sketches in captivity.
• Encyclopedia of Pantomime
by David Pickering (1993), published
by Gale Research International Ltd.
•
Oh, Yes It Is - A History of Pantomime
by Gerald Frow (1985), published by
the BBC. A very detailed and useful book about Pantomime,
with pictures up to the mid 1980's.
•
Once Upon A Pantomime by Derek Salberg
(1981) published by Cortney Publications, Luton.
The History of Pantomime, featuring productions
by Derek Salberg at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham.
Between 1860 and 1870 the
theatres started to bring in established stars
from British music hall. This brought in the
parents, who would go with their children
to see comedians and singers they enjoyed
in the adult world of music halls.
Just in the same way, today the theatres sell
pantomimes by bringing in the stars of TV
soaps, sportsmen, and other celebrities.
One of the earliest music hall stars to perform
in panto was James Fawn. His most popular
song was the famous "If you want to know
the time.. ask a policeman."
Music hall artistes changed the style of pantomime
plots and dialogue, because they brought their
own material and comedy songs with them. Allowances
had to be made in the plot to reveal a star
singing his or her latest number, or performing
a sketch made popular on the halls that year.
Having sportsmen and celebrities like Ian
Botham in pantomime started with the music
hall too. In recent times we have seen the
Gladiators and Big Brother contestants appearing
in pantomimes. Mr Blobby is still starring,
so are Bill and Ben and Sooty.
And here's a round up of some of the
out-of-London pantomimes that are being produced this
Christmas. If your local theatre isn't listed here, check
- chances are they are showing a pantomime.
Town or City
Theatre
Production
Dates
Box Office
Aberdeen.
His Majesty's Theatre.
James Macpherson in Peter
Pan.
05 Dec to 03 Jan.
01224 641122
Bath.
Theatre Royal.
Sherrie Hewson in
Jack and the Beanstalk.
18 Dec to 25 Jan.
01225 448844
Belfast.
Grand Opera House.
Leslie Grantham in Dick
Whittington.
28 Nov to 17 Jan.
028 9024 1919
Birmingham.
The Hippodrome Theatre.
Julian Clary in Cinderella.
19 Dec to 1 Feb.
0870 730 1234
Bristol.
The Bristol Hippodrome.
Lily Savage in Snow White
and the 7 Dwarfs.
19 Dec to 18 Jan.
0870 607 7500
Bournemouth.
The Pavilion.
Marti Webb in Snow White
and the 7 Dwarfs.
17 Decr to 11 Jan.
01202 456456
Bromley, Kent.
The Churchill Theatre.
Linda Lusardi in Snow
White
and the 7 Dwarfs.
11 Dec to 18 Jan.
0870 060 6620
Canterbury.
The Marlowe Theatre.
Toyah Wilcox in Snow
White
and the 7Dwarfs.
04 Dec to 24 Jan.
01227 787787
Cardiff.
New Theatre.
John Inman in Aladdin.
13 Dec to 24 Jan.
029 2087 8889
Dartford.
The Orchard.
Brian Blessed in Peter
Pan.
05 Dec to 11 Jan.
01322 220000
Edinburgh.
The Kings.
Allan Stewart and Andy
Gray in
Jack and the Beanstalk.
29 Dec to 18 Jan.
0131 529 6000
Guildford.
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
Bonnie Langford and Dora
Bryan in
Dick Whittington.
12 Decr to 3 Jan.
01483 440000
Malvern
The Malvern Theatres.
Ruth Madoc in Robin Hood
and
the Babes in the Wood.
17 Dec to 11 Jan.
01684 892277
Manchester.
Opera House.
Brian Conley, Nigel Ellacott
and
Peter Robbins in Cinderella.
12 Dec to 18 Jan.
00870 401 9000
Milton Keynes.
Milton Keynes Theatre.
Claire Sweeney in Aladdin.
11 Dec to 18 Jan.
01908 60 6090
Nottingham.
The Theatre Royal.
Bobby Davro and Danny
La Rue in Cinderella.
13 Dec to 25 Jan.
0115 989 5555
Reading.
The Hexagon Theatre.
Su Pollard in Snow White
and the 7 Dwarfs.
06 Dec to 04 Jan.
0118 960 6060
Richmond, Surrey.
The Richmond Theatre.
Lesley Joseph in Snow
White and
the 7 Dwarfs.
11 Dec to 18 Jan.
020 8940 0088
Salford.
The Lowry.
Paul Nicholas in Peter
Pan.
20 Dec to 17 Jan.
0870 787 5780
Southampton.
The Mayflower.
Jim Davidson in Aladdin.
21 Dec to 01 Feb.
023 8071 1811
Southend.
The Cliffs Pavillion.
The Chuckle Brothers
and
Dr Evadne Hingein Cinderella.
