The clocks have gone back and, like it or not, the Christmas juggernaut is revving itself up to come and run us all over with tinsel, mince pies and general festive glee.
One of the things we either look forward to – or utterly dread – at this time of year is going to see a pantomime. A perfectly normal event to us but, it turns out, an absolute head scratcher to people from other countries. Over on the AskABrit subreddit a brave foreigner called freshmaggots posed this question:
What is a pantomime, and what is it like?
Hi! I’m an American, and I have a question for you all! I have heard of British pantomimes before (also called a panto), but I don’t really know what it is. I know it’s usually during Christmastime, but I am confused on it. I wonder, what is it like? I wonder why we don’t have them in the United States?
And the answers were as chaotic as a minor celebrity singing double-entendre-laden lyrics to a famous pop song while dressed in drag. Like these…
1.
”Hi, I’m an American and I have a question for you all’.
OH NO YOU DON’T!!! Hahahahahahhahahahahahahhhaaaaa.’
–holdawayt
2.
‘Panto is to theatre what WWF is to sport.’
–nasted
3.
‘It’s a very camp, funny form of family theatre with a long history, so people here tend to understand the formula they follow and the sort of silliness to expect. Usually based on classic stories but adapted often with new jokes and songs. They have audience participation and call-and-response jokes that people in the UK just grow up knowing (‘Oh no he didn’t!’, ‘She’s behind you!’) that you will shout at various points during the show.
There’s always a ‘Dame’ who is a man in drag, and young male characters played by women. They’re on at Christmas but not often actually Christmas themed. It is silly, funny, and probably very weird if you don’t grow up with it as part of your cultural traditions.’
–kumran
4.
‘Don’t forget a random person off the telly filling one of the roles. Usually Barry from EastEnders, belting out a tune no one was expecting.’
–imtheorangeycenter
5.
‘There won’t always be a celebrity. Small settlements still have panto!’
–olihrk
6.
‘Oh yes there will!
In a village it might be a schoolteacher, vicar, Parish Councillor, who’d be the local ‘celebrity’.’
–ArborealFriend
7.
‘Where does the horse come in? I’ve heard a lot about the pantomime horse.’
–WaldenFont
8.
‘Well, obviously there has to be a horse because…..the horse is………? Traditionally…..I’ve no idea why there is a horse.’
–Cute_Ad_9730
9.
‘Like comedia dell’arte, but British?’
–Downtown_Physics8853
10.
‘I went to one in Hackney last year and at one point the Dame was dressed as a pepper pot. ‘Where’d you get that outfit?’ ‘On Grindr.’’
–Monsterofthelough
11.
‘Erm, ritualised re-telling of fairy tales etc that operate at at least two levels – participatory stuff for kids and all sorts of meta jokes for adults.
Not really my thing, but they introduce kids to live performances and give a great pay day to regional theatres and jobbing actors.’
–BlackJackKetchum
12.
‘So think of the White House with all the laughable things that go on there with Donald dressed as a Dame and you pretty much have a panto! Except all year round!’
–jojobonbon
