Pantomime

I can't wait to take DGSx2 to the panto they're a little young at the moment.

DD and I are taking my two GDs to see Cinderella on Tuesday, we're all really looking forward to it!

We took two very cool young teenagers to see Red Riding Hood on the 23rd December. After five minutes they forgot to be cool and street wise and joined in with all the cheering,booing,hissing and general fun. We all had such a great time.

We have always been to see pantomimes, a family tradition.
My youngest granddaughter is dancing in Aladdin at Consett, so that is the one that we have been to see this year.
Nina, how young is a little young?
We have taken one year olds to the Theatre Royal in York. All have enjoyed them, even those marrying into the family who have never seen one before. The only one who has never been with us is the step-mother! Can't think why not; we have bought her tickets before but we do not any more.

durhamjen they are 2.9 and 5.6 I think the oldest one would be ok but they both have slight autistic tendencies and the youngest doesn't like crowds and noise !

I took my son DIL and grandkids to the Panto this year. It was such a laugh and they were both enthralled. The youngest is 3 and a half and she was a bit scared at times but joined in when the audience shouted "get lost" to the baddie.

It cheered us up after two really sad years.

It was incredibly noisy and raucous and I think my grand daughter was about the right age for her first Panto - didn't go last year because I think she would have been frightened rather than happy - depends on the child of course.

There is another thread here about Pantomimes, where I said that they started life as 'fillers' after the really serious performances back in the Georgian times. At that time they were just little 'skits' making fun of the men who were being cuckold by their wives, so the double entendres stem from that time, I think. Pantomimes seem to be able to involve all ages, I am sure that is where my daughter and grandson get their love of theatre from.

I've seen a few ^Peter Pan^s over the decades, but the only one I really remember, starred Margaret Lockwood as Peter! I think that must have been at the London Coliseum.

Once again, we saved that dratted fairy's life with our belief and applause!

When I was young, we went on a coach trip every January to a panto at the Theatre Royal in Leeds. It was quite an occasion for us kids, we had lunch, or dinner as we called it, booked at Lewis`s restaurant, very posh to us, I loved seeing the jugs of water on the table, we had pop at home. Then in the afternoon we`d go and queue up outside the theatre for the magical performance. Every year, there was a group of little girls performing singing and dancing, I think they were called Emile Littler`s Sunbeams, or something like that. I really missed it as I got older and we didn`t go anymore.

Parts of my husband's side of the family are in pantos yearly.

From the other side if the curtain can I say that generally speaking any child younger than 4 is too young for panto. Of course it depends on the child, but I've stage managed many a panto where the cast have struggled with a matinee audience of crying toddlers and 2/3 year olds running about. I took my own gs to panto at age 4 but my gd wasn't happy with the thought of all the noise until she was 6. Oddly enough she would happily sit through Scottish Ballet's winter production instead!

2/3 year olds running around Why would any parent allow that

I'm not refuting it KateK

I have four grandchildren, aged 21 to 7 and all of them have been to pantos from an early age. The middle granddaughter was less than 2 years old when she went to her first one, when it was her great grandmother's 80th birthday on New Year's Day. None of them ever ran around. We always booked a row with a seat at the end aisle, so if any of the kids cried we could stand up and rock them or take them out if necessary.
Nina, my grandson has ASD. He is 12 now and has always been to the panto as part of the family. He worries about it for days before hand but joins in when there. This year was good because it was the first year that he had not taken ear defenders. It was the second year his sister was one of the little dancers. She has one more show to go! A group of nine of us went this year, and he was in the middle to protect him from the noise. But he shouted as loudly as the others, and it was brilliant!
He will now start worrying about next year.
We also took them to see the Lion King this year at the Sunderland Empire, and he was spellbound.

Last year we took DGC to the pantomime at our local theatre, professional cast but no big names and clearly done on a budget - the best kind of pantomime. We all enjoyed it so much it has become an instant family tradition. We are all off to see this years panto tomorrow.

I wish all parents/grandparents were as responsible as those on this thread but, unfortunately, there are parents who allow their children to behave appallingly in the theatre. They sword fight in the aisle with the light sabres/pirate cutlasses and just seem to do whatever they want with no parental control. Totally spoils the performance for those around them.

If I saw anybody behaving like that I'd say something to them, Flickety, and with the parents listening. We all pay the same and expect to be able to enjoy our family outings.

It's panto central in our house at the moment (oh yes it is!) As DH is directing the village panto. He has also written it (an original story, not a traditional tale). The house is full of props and costumes and I am requested to make various strange things from time to time. We have a panto every other year and I have been in lots of them, as have our children, but this year I am keeping it at arms length and letting him get on with it.

I agree with you, Katek. And the ones who stand on their seats and jump up and down, obscuring the view of anyone sitting behind them!

It would take a brave person to try to persuade some of them (and more especially their parents) that others should be considered.

Maybe I only go to pantos where the audiences are well behaved, only joining in when they are supposed to!
I must admit that it's silly of the theatre to sell light sabres if they do not expect kids to use them.

I adore pantomime, and take the GC whenever we can. Unfortunately Brighton hasn't had one for a number of years now, and it is terribly expensive to go to London for us all. We did go to Chichester one year, saw Narnia (TLWAW) which was excellent but it is 1001 Dalmations this year and the eldest GC is really getting too old or thinks he is for it, the younger one didn't fancy it.

We took the DGCs to Aladdin in Durham and they loved it but I agree about behaviour of some. It was the food cast on the ground . The boy behind me poured his leftover popcorn and slush onto the floor and then kicked away . I noticed that on the whole those children with parents left litter all around them on the principle that someone 's paid to clean up and those with grandparents in charge brought their rubbish out with them.

As an alternative to a pantomime I took my DGCs to see The Mad Hatter's Tea Party at Linbury Studio in The Royal Opera House. It was performed by ZooNation a hip hop theatre dance group. It was chaotic, colourful, funny with brilliant dancing, acting and music and enthralled a 4 yr old and 9 yr old as well as two adults of advancing years. Strict policy of no food and drink once inside the auditorium.

Our village organises a party and a small group of us (the really mad ones) do a 40odd minute pantomime. We do not take ourselves that seriously and yet we are quite proud of our somewhat chaotic efforts. Oddly enough every year despite lack of rehearsal, zero budget and any real talent (accept one notable exception) we find ourselves with a half way success. Its honestly just like the Geoffrey Rush character states in 'Shakespeare in Love'...it all works out in the end. With a few hours to spare someone steps forward to do the sound, the lighting actually works on the day and every body remembers their lines or at least comes up with an equally hilarious add lib.
Everyone is very grateful, the children in the cast are amazing and our audience is great.........!
However, this year on our second, and public performance we had one child in the front row who, although no great age seemed to be a professional heckler. He would wait for the 'Oh yes they dids' to die down and yell something quite off putting and continued to holler critical and unhelpful comments all the way through the performance. The effect was that the children in our modest little cast got quite rattled and found it all very unsettling. At no time did his parents intervene.
All I can say if he ever walks through the village on a dark dark night (we do not have street lights here)...........................enough said.

Hilda