What is a Pantomime? And where you can participate in one in Vancouver
As someone who is mostly unfamiliar with the language of theatre, I was intrigued, but altogether clueless when I was searching the web and came upon the word “pantomime” as a description for a theatre play.
So, what is a pantomime?
According to my favourite friend Google, a pantomime is “a theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, that involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas.”
Alright, sounds fun. But I was still left wondering, why is this a Christmas thing? What is the history behind this type of theatre production?
Apparently, the origins of the pantomime can be traced back to ancient roman times and the winter festival of Saturnalia which would traditionally start on the 17th of December and sometimes span over several days.
Some less than savoury spectacles would take place during this event, at least compared to modern standards, as the event would usually kick off with a sacrifice at the temple of Saturn … yikes. That is not kid friendly.
Above: a modern day celebration of Saturnalia, no human sacrifices involved
After the rather gory start to the holiday, there would be games, a large feast, and basically all conventional rules and laws would be thrown out the window for the duration of the festival. It was a kind of “opposite day” where masters would serve the slaves, men would dress as woman, woman would dress as men, and even gambling, which was normally prohibited, was allowed.
So, the concept of the Pantomime came from this festival, where plays would be put on where the men would play the woman’s roles and vice versa. It was meant to be funny and whimsical and audiences would be encouraged to join in and participate in the merriment.
nowadays, pantomimes aren’t always done in this way, but the general idea is that audiences have a participatory role in this type of stage production and it’s meant to be lighthearted and fun.
Above: A pantomime performance, notice that men are playing woman
If you’re interested in experiencing a pantomime this season, Vancouvers East Van Panto is putting on “The Little Mermaid” at The Cultch theatre.
Putting a distinctly modern day Vancouver spin on this classic Disney fairytale, you’ll see Ariel “busking with her girl band at New Brighton beach” amongst other fishy adventures.
The preview is on November 16th and the official opening night is November 18th, with shows throughout the rest of November and December, and the last show falling on January 1st.
Ready to experience your first pantomime? You can buy tickets here