The name of pantomime for this theatrical art form and the word pantomime that means to mime likely come from the same movements in history. Ancient pantomime from Rome was a dance performance from a silent performer known as a pantomimus. The pantomimus was a silent dancer and the outfits worn were made to accentuate the dance movements. Sometimes there was a pantomimus in Comedia dell'Arte. However, rather than being known as a pantomimus, this silent dancer was known as a harlequinade.
It is thought the that Victorians are the ones who made sure that pantomime continued from its early days. This is because in the theatre, they got to dress up rather than wear the drab Victorian clothing. This is combined with the characteristics of Christmas mumming where heavily disguised characters perform a play based on the story of St. George and the Dragon.
Pantomimes (pantos) usually have certain types of characters. These characters are a principal girl, a principal boy, a dame, a good fairy, and a villain or a demon. However, pantos may add, subtract, or change characters. The practices of pantomime dames (their costumes can be compared to clowns and to drag queens as they tend to be purposefully colorful and outlandish) usually being played by male identifying actors goes back to Shakespeare and principal boys being played by female identifying actors goes back to the Victorian era. For a long time, it was thought that it was illegal for females to be on stage during Shakespeare's life. There is some research that says that there may have been some females that acted. However, even if they did, it was not common. Thus, males had to play female parts in Shakespeare's plays. Even once females were allowed to act, people realized that it was funny to have males play female roles, especially when exaggerated. The female playing the principal boy (who is usually the hero) goes back to producers realizing that if a girl played a boy in a pantomime, that the usual social rules of the Victorian era that a female had to cover every part of her body with clothing wouldn't apply. A woman being a principal boy meant that the woman could show off a bit of leg or a bit of chest. In order to show off a bit of leg, when the principal boy does something heroic or has a good idea, he slaps his thigh.
The audience participation is a lot of shouting phrases to the actors on the stage. If an actor says, "Oh no, I'm not," the audience shouts back, 'Oh, yes you are!" Another important part of of audience participation is the ghost gag where a ghost appears behind the actors, but the actors don't realize the ghost is there and the audience has to yell, "It's behind you!" The actors don't tend to realize that the ghost is there even after the audience yells, so the audience has to yell louder. The ghost removes the actors off the stage one by one as each actor doesn't believe the audience yelling, "It's behind you!" This comes from Giuseppe Grimaldi, the father of Joseph Grimaldi who is considered one of the most famous pantomime clowns. It is thought that it was because Giuseppe (who wasn't a very nice person, but was a popular clown), got confused when he got ill as he got older and he would be scared of the grim reaper. To scare him, people on the street would pretend that the grim reaper was behind him and yell, "It's behind you!"
Even though panto is unique to the British culture, it is finding it's way into more countries. There have been pantos in Southern California, Southeast Texas, Thailand (ramayana) and Andorra for certain. It has probably been performed in more places. The reason that panto endures is that it is always adapts with modern culture and ideals to where it is can have fun with audiences so the family fun entertainment can stay around.
References:
- Barrow, Mandy. “Mummers - Traditional Christmas Plays in England.” Projectbritain.com, projectbritain.com/Xmas/mummers.htm.
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "pantomimus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Nov. 2016, https://www.britannica.com/art/pantomimus. Accessed 24 February 2024.
- ---. “Pantomimes - Christmas Traditions in England, Scotland and Wales (a British Christmas).” Projectbritain.com, projectbritain.com/Xmas/pantomines.html.
- Clarke, David. “BWW Reviews: Stages’ PANTO MOTHER GOOSE - a Big Golden Goose Egg of a Theatrical Treat.” BroadwayWorld.com, 27 Nov. 2012, www.broadwayworld.com/houston/article/BWW-Reviews-Stages-PANTO-MOTHER-GOOSE-A-Big-Golden-Goose-Egg-of-a-Theatrical-Treat-20121127. Accessed 25 Feb. 2024.
- Ellacott, Nigel. “It’s behind You - the Development of Pantomime.” Www.its-Behind-You.com, 25 Feb. 2008, www.its-behind-you.com/development.html.
- ---. “The Magic of Pantomime.” It’s Behind You.
- Lipton, Martina. “Localism and Modern British Pantomime.” A World of Popular Entertainments, edited by Gillian Arrighi and Victor Emeljanow, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 7 Mar. 2012, www.google.com/books/edition/A_World_of_Popular_Entertainments/Dj0sBwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
- MamaG. (n.d.). MamaG’s TikTok. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@mamagstories
- “Pantomime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pantomime. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
- Rosky, Nicole. “Lythgoe Family Productions Presents CINDERELLA, 11/27-12/19.” BroadwayWorld.com, 28 Sept. 2010, www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Lythgoe-Family-Productions-Presents-CINDERELLA-11271219-20100928#. Accessed 25 Feb. 2024.
- ---. “Lythgoe Family Productions Presents CINDERELLA, 11/27-12/19.” BroadwayWorld.com, www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Lythgoe-Family-Productions-Presents-CINDERELLA-11271219-20100928#. Accessed 25 Feb. 2024.
- Serck, Linda. “Oh Yes It Is: Why Pantomime Is Such a British Affair.” BBC News, 3 Jan. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34997041.
- Victoria and Albert Museum. “V&a · the Story of Pantomime.” Victoria and Albert Museum, www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-pantomime.
- Zanobi, Alessandra. “Ancient Pantomime and Its Reception | APGRD.” Ox.ac.uk, 2019, www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/learning/short-guides/ancient-pantomime-and-its-reception.
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