Christmas Pantomimes

We all know that Christmas has many varied and strange traditions. But for some, they’re favorite is Christmas Pantomime. For me and my family, it is a familiar thing that is part of every December. For those of you who have never heard of it, I’ll explain as best as I can. No, there are no mimes in a Pantomime. It is a play usually performed at Christmas time, and is a popular form of theater. It has a number of fun things; song, dance, slapstick, audience participatation, and cross dressing among other things. Of course, there are a number of traditions to go along with it. Here are some of the more important things: The leading male is played by a woman. The leading male’s mother is played by a man in drag. Audience participation! Members of the audience yelling “Look out behind you!” or booing the villains and cheering on the good guys. There are a lot of re-written lyrics to familiar songs, to which singing along is encouraged. There is an animal (played by an actor or two), who appears. (For example the White Rock Pantomime has a giraffe named Shenanigans) There is usually a slapstick routine There is a ‘Chorus’, who could be called ‘Extras’ for the stage. They appear throughout the play and perform many songs and dances. Believe it or not, they’re very important to Pantomimes. I know, I know. If this is the first time you’ve ever heard of a pantomime, it’s a little confusing. But doesn’t it sound like fun? It’s one of the many strange traditions Christmas has. So, I strongly suggest to find your local theater and think about going. You won’t regret it!