Attending the local pantomime as part of your theatre ventures can be a completely different theatrical experience. Interacting with the action on stage, pop songs twisted to suit the story and pyrotechnics make for a unique trip to the theatre. Saturday matinées are likely to be made up of mostly children, and performances can run through to the new year, and sometimes into January too. Pantomime can be a guilty pleasure for some, but for others it is a chance to relish in the Christmas spirit through the well-known story playing out on stage.
Telling the story concisely is imperative for audiences, keeping it fresh and energetic with jokes to suit the adults and pranks to suit the children. Some children who attend may not be familiar with the story of the pantomime, and it is important to engage them immediately by the characters and their journeys. However if the story is familiar, it needs to have new zeal in equal measure. New choreographers working with the company also help to keep the production relevant but injecting modern dance accompaniment to the traditions of pantomime.
Mixing old and new in pantomime ensures the show is relevant and does not feel dated, however some pantomime traditions are non-negotiable. Elements such as the pantomime baddie always entering from stage left and the goodie from stage right; the “oh no you didn’t”;the verbal comedy; the visual slapstick and the song sheet are all vital elements that audiences expect from attending. However, keeping the production contemporary engages audiences too, with cultural and social references that the audiences will enjoy.
Today there is a big audience expectation of high-quality productions which would be worthy of the West End, with highly skilled singers and dancers moving the show along. The company tends to be encouraged to play with their roles and develop them, whilst remaining convincing for the audience. Areas of the company such as the chorus are relied upon to be skilled in many areas, with highly polished movement and slick routines, all the time working together as a team.