This is the serious stuff.
I’ve written and directed quite a few things that are dubbed pantomime but it’s a tricky genre.
Everyone has their own idea of what proper Panto is. Some think that ‘It’s behind you’ and a dame doing many costume changes is essential. For me it’s a well told story, twisted for our times and place, with elements of ridiculousness for all ages plus deeply skilled performances and original music. I’m sorry I get very animated about this.
The yarn, and the characters must be properly honoured - motivated, it’s a matter of life and death. The slop scene must be precise and again - motivated. The audience participation must be essential to save the day. (My favourite was in our Sleeping Beauty when, after the prince had failed to get to Beauty in time to save her life, the audience had to sing the house song backwards in order to reverse time - which they did - ‘cos they wanted to save her!).
Oh and there must be squirrels or somesuch that pop out of the stage floor with key information, and perhaps a pantomime horse/cow/camel/goose that dances elegantly and plucks at your heart strings. But it’s all driven by the story. Got it!
Give me a shout if you’d like to see versions of:
Cinderella (with music by Chris Larner)
Red Riding Hood and the Wolf (with music by Tom Johnson)
Mother Goose and the Wolf (with music by Chris Larner)
Sleeping Beauty (with music by Dave Baird)
Ali Baba (with music by Dave Baird)
Aladdin (with music by Andy Whitfield)
Dick Whittington (with music by Chris Larner)
