Do you know what Pantomime is?

[CatInASuit]

Last year we had Steve Guttenberg and Henry Winkler appearing in Panto and this year Pamela Anderson has decided to tread the boards as the Genie of the Lamp.

Does anyone outside Britain know or care about what a Panto is.

[ivan astikov]

Probably not, but panto seems to me to be the working classes version of the theatre, with the added attraction that you can interact with the cast somewhat, for that all inclusive entertainment experience.

"OH NO IT ISN'T!"

"OH YES IT IS!"

[What Exit?]

Don't know what it is beyond being what I thought was a pre-industrial age form of entertainment in the UK that for some reason featured the Pantomime horse. (As often seen in Monty Python skits and some other British comedy.)

I had no clue it was still around. Why not give us some details. I doubt these shows happen in the US but I could be wrong.

[OneCentStamp]

I knew of it only as being distinctly English, and involving cross-dressing.

[Feirefiz]

I have only a very vague idea. I don't think we have anything comparable.

[NAF1138]

Yes, but I doubt that many Americans outside of the theatre world would. I have always associated it with childrens theatre, though based on what Ivan said that doesn't sound like I am quite right.

[Zuul]

I've heard references to it, but it's not something I actually know much about.

[Myglaren]

The less you know about panto the better!
I went to one once. God help us it was dreadful, worse than a Circus, which I didn't think was possible.

[glee]

Panto is fun for all the family.
Get a (minor) celebrity, a script with some jokes, a familiar plot and some songs.
Kids like the slapstick, interaction and excitement.
Dads like the pretty heroine (and the shouting out).
Mums get to relax!

[The Original An Gadaí]

There are pantomimes here too. Not my scene. I do like referring to people as "Pantomime Dames" though. That's a great one.

[eleanorigby]

I've heard of it, knew it was British, have always wanted to see one.

I did see Beauty and the Beast years ago in England (not in London--can't remember just where), but I don't think that qualifies as panto. It was excellent, btw.

[Zuul]

Out of curiosity I looked up Pantomime on Wikipedia and was surprised that it was actually far more than I thought it was. I had a vague idea about it being some sort of comedic musical theatre thing, but there are a bunch of special conventions to it:

• The leading male juvenile character (the 'principal boy') - is traditionally played by a young woman, and usually in tight-fitting male garments (such as breeches) that make her female charms evident.
• An older woman (the pantomime dame - often the hero's mother) is usually played by a man in drag.
• Risqué double entendre, often wringing innuendo out of perfectly innocent phrases. This is, in theory, over the heads of the children in the audience.
• Audience participation, including calls of "Look behind you!" (or "He's behind you!"), and "Oh, yes it is!" and "Oh, no it isn't!" The audience is always encouraged to boo the villain and "awwwww" the poor victims, such as the rejected dame, who usually fancies the prince.
• A song combining a well-known tune with re-written lyrics. The audience is encouraged to sing the song; often one half of the audience is challenged to sing 'their' chorus louder than the other half.
• The animal, played by an actor in 'animal skin' or animal costume. It is often a pantomime horse or cow, played by two actors in a single costume, one as the head and front legs, the other as the body and back legs.
• The good fairy always enters from stage right and the evil villain enters from stage left. In the medieval mystery plays the right side of the stage symbolised Heaven and the left side symbolised Hell.
• The members of the cast throw out sweets to the children in the audience (although in some cases this is not possible due to health and safety restrictions).
• Sometimes the story villain will squirt members of the audience with water guns or pretend to throw a bucket of 'water' at the audience that is actually full of streamers.
• A slapstick comedy routine may be performed, often a decorating or baking scene, with humour based on throwing messy substances. Until the 20th century, British pantomimes often concluded with a harlequinade, a free-standing entertainment of slapstick. Nowadays the slapstick is more or less incorporated into the main body of the show.
• In the 19th century, until the 1880s, pantomimes typically included a transformation scene in which a Fairy Queen magically transformed the pantomime characters into the characters of the harlequinade, who then performed the harlequinade.
• The Chorus, who can be considered 'Extras' on-stage, who usually appear in all scenes and who perform a variety of songs and dances throughout the show. They are a very important role in Pantomimes.

So...that's a Panto?

[Orual]

I only know about it through Monty Python: Pantomime horses fighting for a job at a merchant bank, pantomime Princess Margaret, and some woman in tights holding a stuffed cat claiming to be "Puss in Boots".