What is a Pantomime? - History, Traditions and Culture

Learn about the history, fun facts, characters and other conventions of the british tradition of pantomimes!

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[philr]

Hi! This is a great video, I’m a Sound and Video Engineer working in theatre and events for 25 years.
I’ve done many pantos over the years, and just finished tech-ing 5 of them around the U.K.

I was trying to find a video that would explain to my Taiwanese girlfriend and her cousin what a panto is. This does it perfectly so thank you for that!
I had no idea it was a thing outside of the U.K., except for a little bit in Canada and maybe Australia and New Zealand.

The traditions you mentioned at the end are true in the U.K. too. Alongside the rhyming couplets performed at the end of every show and given to the cast by the director but only after the dress rehearsals have finished and never before.

[rossanderson]

We, up in Scotland, play pranks that increase as the run goes on. The audience also celebrate mess ups by the cast, much to out annoyance. This, I think, makes you feel the show that night is unique.

[ajikpajik]

Wow, I had no idea pantomime was a thing in Hong Kong! Your explanation was excellent.

[Stuzo]

On the subject of closing night pranks, a recurring theme in our local pantomime would always be for the crew to put something wholly inappropriate in a box that is usually opened and revealed to the audience. The result was the actor who opened the box laughing at the item in the box and then having to ad-lib something to explain why they were not going to show it to the audience as they had done on every other night.

[SewOldFashioned]

Thanks for explaining the history and traditions of pantomime. It's not very common where I live (Australia) and it's always seemed so odd to me, so it was great to get an understanding of it. As for last performance pranks: I wonder if that's a general theatre/stage thing. Every time I've been involved in a musical or stage performance, we always plan something silly for the last night. Definitely no sausage references, though!

[annputation]

Here after watching Drag Race UK! So cool! Thank you

[starmiss]

Hii, What is the thing that contribute to today's British Pantomime in 2:22 in the video? Maybe I didn't hear it clearly or maybe I just don't know the word. thanks.

[uberpartyplaylist]

Vancouver BC has many productions of Pantos each year and I don't think I've seen those kinds of pranks played. You nailed the explanation! Does HK do on demand/livestream? ...would love to tune in....

[KathyMakattack]

Do you have any panto experiences as well? Please comment and share below!

[John-nrgg]

Thank you for your outline on pantomime, Kathy, and how it celebrates and replays some event or another from the past. It got me to wondering about another possible purpose of pantomime. Do you know of any pantomime that was ever performed, to try to force an event into the future? An event such as, the earnest hope that the wishes of the performers, and the crowd watching, would be brought to real life, by the staged performance of it?

[ruthrouse]

Thank you for such a detailed look at the history. It seems to be really hard to find specifics like this, most things just say it came from Comedia del Arte and leave it at that.

I have been doing panto with my own drama group in London for over 10 years now and have to say I love it. Playing henchman this year.

As to last night pranks. Well, we have done them in the past, but yes it does have to be stuff that doesn't affect the audience. We did one year when the dame opened a suitcase and then take stuff out of it, so we taped a rehearsal picture to the inside of it, where the audience couldn't see, to make him laugh. However, the attitude in the group now does seem to be that if it's funny enough for the last night then it's funny enough for every night, and I have to say I agree with that.

[superlynx]

The panto I'm working on at the moment has prank night every Saturday

[alecclews]

When I was an expat in Bahrain I played Widow Twanky in Aladdin. Strictly amateur. Xmas 1988 at the British Club.

[drrd]

I believe it wasn't developed in England. It has been going on since classical theatre across western Europe. Pantomime came to the UK from France.
I am British and even I know it isn't a British invention.

[mariegriffiths]

I hope this British tradition continues under the Chinese government. Cuddles to your cat too.

[suehughes-parry]

Interesting, well presented..terrible choice of background music