Are you going to the panto this year?

We took the DGC to one and it was their first . At first I could not bring myself to pay so much for us to go then thought we might , for one reason or another , never get the chance again . I am so glad we went as the 7 year old appears to have taken every last word in . I thought they might not get some of the humour as it was very local and they live miles away but they loved it . I just hope we get the chance to do it again . A friend wanted to be the first to take his DGC to a ballet and sadly was too ill to do so .

Going to Nottingham Playhouse tonight to see Cinderella. Produced by the legend that is [I think; need to do a google] Kenneth Alan Taylor, who used to play the dame for many many years...

So your username is very fitting then bigcol?

Just thought I would share something with you. Briefly, I have belonged to the same drama group for 9 years. I did my first panto in 2009 "Dick Whittington". Until then, I hadn't been exposed to panto much either. I see it on telly, but that's about all. Since then I have done 8 more. I love the genre and probs always will. I did a version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" last year where I played the giant which; at 6 feet 6 inches tall there wasn't much acting needed, but what I do remember was the faces of the children who were looking up at me and thought I was literally a giant, which, I suppose to them, I was. I love doing panto and always will

We went with our GCs to see 101 Dalmatians at Birmingham Rep. Brilliant puppetry and a super story. It's not a panto as such, so the question of innuendo doesn't arise. Well worth a visit, though I'm not sure how long it runs for. It was quite expensive for nine of us, but we felt it was worth it as part of everyone's Christmas present. Lovely jubbly!

Most expensive tickets at York Theatre Royal are £34, Wilma, so I don't blame you.

When we lived in Stoke-on-Trent, we never failed to take our daughter to the Christmas play at the Victoria theatre. They were without fail extremely good. Nowadays, we go to the panto each year with our granddaughter, which is where we'll be this afternoon. No big name stars here, but plenty of local colour. I do miss the lovely New Vic though.

I never had a hankering to go on the stage tbh dj. I still wouldn't pay £77 for a ticket! I can imagine a child would remember that train for the rest of their lives. Truly special.

Yes, you are right, Wilma, it is wonderful watching your own grandchildren in a show.
Wouldn't have dared do that when I was her age.

By the way, when you complain about the cost of them, it is very expensive to put on a pantomime, even those without star names in them - which are usually the best. More local knowledge and local in-jokes.

We used to go every year as a family when we lived in York.
Since moving up here we have been as youngest granddaughter has been in.
Last year she wasn't dancing in a panto, but this year we saw her in Aladdin. She's been dancing in panto since she was six.
This is her fourth.
Christmas isn't Christmas without panto.

Another good show to take the grandchildren to is The Railway Children, if it comes to your area.
We saw it at the Railway Museum in York, with a real steam train coming on at the end of the show.

Glenfinnan thank you - I eventually calmed down! It has really put me in the Christmas mood!

widgeon I haven't heard that before, but I do think there's some innuendo going on!

It must be wonderful to watch a child from your family in the show. One thing I noticed on Wednesday was one of the youngest performers was a little girl probably about 8 years old. She was very good (all the young people were), but what struck me was that fact she was wearing glasses. Years ago you'd never see that, so it was a lovely surprise.

We've been because our grand-daughter was in it and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I completely joined in. She plays a lost boy in Peter Pan, and is in every day for 3 weeks (except Sundays and Mondays). The thing that I thought was missing was that there was no slapstick scene, a panto isn't complete without custard pie or cream being thrown around!

Used to go I remember one in the 40s when all the small children there sang lustily
' You push the damper in
Then you pull the damper out
but the smoke goes up the chimney just the same
We were only playing leapfrog
but the smoke goes up the chimney just the same'
Innuendo... Yes
But it has only just struck me some 70 years later

Wilmaknickersfit you have made me smile! Lovely to be enthused and so pleased you enjoyed yourself!

radicalnan that sounds dreadful. I would have complained.

fellow I can imagine although it would be great fun, it could also get quite tiring for 6 weeks.

I can't wait to see Paddington 2! It's great that alternatives to panto are available too. About 15 years ago I took my neice and nephew to see The Boy who fell into a book and they still talk about it now.

I think Matthew Bourne's Cinderella is on TV this Christmas.

Not a panto but we always take the GC to the magical Watermill Theatre near Newbury for the Christmas production. This year it’s The Borrowers. GS wasn’t sure about going but after the Borrowers workshop at half-term he changed his mind. Last year’s was Sleeping Beauty and I felt it was a bit too dark with no magic. The best was Wind in the Willows. We get the cheap seats above the stage and the staging fascinates them as much as the play.

I'm sorry, but I don't have a problem with the innuendo humour as long as it's not over the top and I've never come across that. The innuendo is a joke between the actors and the adults in the audience and if done properly, the children should not even be aware they're missing something.

The panto is family entertainment and we see far worse 'smut' and 'innuendo' on TV any day of the week. Perhaps you should read the reviews before you go to see if there's a mention of inappropriate humour. Of course, you could always write your own review. I wrote a short review on TripAdvisor this year (under the entry for the theatre.

I went to see Cinderella at the Hackney Empire last week. It was brilliant! There were 14 of us, 3 children and 11 adults, the French au pairs were beside themselves, loving every minute! Off to Sadlers Wells tomorrow to see Mattnew Bournes Cinderella - a completely different take on the story I think. Have a lovely Christmas everyone.

For me a panto is for after Christmas Day complete with selection box and GD if available!

I've never been to a panto in my life. Don't think I'll be starting now.

I think that if any of us has a bad experience at a panto this year, smutty humour etc., we should post the name of the theatre and their response or not to any complaint on here. After all pantomime is supposed to be for children primarily Are we allowed to do that ?

I went to the Panto in Windsor last Saturday. It is always such a good show with super costumes and loads of audience participation. Looking forward to next December already.

I never took my children to pantos as like a few other people have said I don't like the adult humour and innuendos. We did take them to the Citizens theatre in Glasgow where instead of panto it was just a magical story made into a show. This year I took my two granddaughters age six and four to the local panto in the town hall played by the local drama and operatic group. It was also the children's first time seeing a show. They loved it and it was performed brilliantly but still a few smutty jokes about boobs and boob jobs! It went over their heads but I wish they would just call a halt to it , we're all a lot more enlightened and don't need that for family entertainment, tradition or not. I will take them back next year as they enjoyed it and far cheaper than the larger theatres in town. I'm now looking forward to the Nutcracker ballet in January, I haven't been to the ballet for over twenty years,can't wait.

Oh, I don't like people being shown up like that though, BrightonBelle. I was once a bit worried as we were on the front row of a Peter Kay show, but fortunately he didn't go down that route.