Panto for Beginners -
an Introduction

Pantomime as a form of stage entertainment dates back to Greek and pre-Christian Roman times. The Roman word 'pantomimus" described a type of actor who performed without speaking. Present-day pantornime is, however, something quite different.

During the Roman Saturnalia each December, during which the whole structure of society was turned on its head, a sort of Pantomime was performed in which all the normal rules, conventions and social roles were cheerfully broken. With the advent of Christanity, these undoubtedly amoral entertainrnents were banned and Pantomime disappeared, only to re-emerge in 18th century London, in a slightly different form. The famous Drury Lane and Covent Garden Theatres put on dramas re-enacting historical or allegorical events, vying with each other to dazzle audiences with revolutionary staging techniques, songs and extravagant costumes. Characters from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte found their way there and Pierrot and Harlequin became popular figures. Modern pantornime, or panto as it is ealled, is a uniquely British, much-loved Christmas Tradition outwardly different from its pagan ancestor, but with the same basic purpose: to give everyone a good therapeutic laugh at the darkest time of year, to give children a magic Christmas treat and to let adults be children again for a coupie of hours. No British family Christmas is complete without a visit to the panto, as the packed theatres throughout Britain show.

The panto itself is the enactment of a well-known fairy or nursery tale, such as Cinderella. The traditional story-line is faithfully adhered to, but the script is freely written, with silly gags, topical jokes, songs, dances and lots of interaction with the audience, who are expected to participate actively in the drama unfolding before their eyes. There are certain typical features still retained from Rornan times: for instance, many of the principal roles are usually played by a person of the opposite sex. The universal themes of 'goodies" and "baddies", rags to riches, injustice to justice are unequivocal, and the audience loudly proclaims where its sympathies lie! There are invariably all the right ingredients for a Christmas Show: laughter, pathos, romance, and, of course, a happy ending.