Time to see a panto

[The Patriot]

Time to see a panto

12-08-2010 01:59 AM

ShareThis Published:
Wed, 2010-12-08 09:52


Time to see a panto


feature_story_photo:
The ugly step sisters discuss their shopping purchases during the Circus Mondao’s panto, “Cinderella” last year at Elveden Estates. Heather Joy






Time to see a panto

Heather Joy

During the holiday season the British head to the pantomimes, or pantos, for short.
Pantos are musical comedies based on classic — usually European — stories such as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" or "Dick Whittington," a 17th-century tale of an underprivileged kid who travels through London with his cat and eventually becomes Lord Mayor of London. Now some pantomime performances are stretching out and performing the new classic tales of “Aladdin”, “Cinderella” and “Peter Pan”.
The performance traditionally holds that the central male character is played by a young woman donning male garments that reveal she is indeed female. The hero’s mother is usually played by a man dressed as a woman who is known as the pantomime dame.
While cross-dressing and sexual innuendo may not sound like family entertainment the pantos are considered family-friendly theater. The British regard the tongue-in-cheek performances that are geared for adults also suitable for children. The assumption being that the risqué double entendres that are interspersed with perfectly innocent phrases are meant to go over the kids’ heads.
A panto is like the sassy British equivalent of "The Nutcracker," a popular holiday performance in the States. The jocular performances that often call on audience participation usually include song, dance, and plenty of slapstick and take place throughout the United Kingdom into the new year.
Pantomime performances date to ancient Greece, according to the Web sites information-britain.co.uk and Musictalk.co.uk. They were brought to England as a low-brow form of opera actually performed during true operatic concert intermissions and rose to popularity in the current British tradition in the early 19th century.
Pantos are also popular in Australia, Ireland, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.
This year in addition to being able to see many stars from the British soaps performing in local pantos you can catch ex- Baywatch actor David Hasselhoff as Captain Hook in “Peter Pan” at the New Wimbledon Theatre.
Check out the off base listings under events to see what pantos are playing in your area.








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