Pantomime Hero: Memories of the Man Who Lifted Leeds United After Brian Clough (Football Shorts, 1)

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An older woman (the pantomime dame–often the hero's mother) is usually played by a man in drag. [53] Pantomimes in Australia at Christmas were once very popular, but the genre has declined greatly since the middle of the 20th century. Several later professional productions did not recover their costs. [66] Canada [ edit ] Christmas and Pantomime: it’s as traditional as pudding and tinsel. This great British institution has been enthralling the public for the best part of 200 years. Curiously enough, it has its origin in the continental Europe and was not always confined to the winter holidays.

Sometimes they'll use material from other notable comedy acts, preferably older for the adults to recognise and the kids to enjoy. Such as Morecambe and Wise's version of "I'm Wishing" for any Snow White shows. Follow the Leader by the Soca boys. Excellent for when several characters need to pursue another character or objective.Shape of You, Perfect and Thinking Out Loud Three brilliant love songs by Ed Sheeran (and his top three songs.) In the 19th century, until the 1880s, pantomimes typically included a transformation scene in which a Fairy Queen magically transformed the pantomime characters into the characters of the harlequinade, who then performed the harlequinade. [40] [53] The Dame, played by a middle-aged male actor in quite heroic quantities of dresses, makeup and enormous fake boobs. Often the most popular and publicised member of the cast, a Dame will often be a fixture in a particular theatre for decades. Usually the mother or aunt of the Principal Boy character (see below); in Cinderella two dames are often used to play the Ugly Sisters. In the Middle Ages, the Mummers Play was a traditional English folk play, based loosely on the Saint George and the Dragon legend, usually performed during Christmas gatherings, which contained the origin of many of the archetypal elements of the pantomime, such as stage fights, coarse humour and fantastic creatures, [16] gender role reversal, and good defeating evil. [17] Precursors of pantomime also included the masque, which grew in pomp and spectacle from the 15th to the 17th centuries. [3] [18] Commedia dell'arte and early English adaptation [ edit ] John Rich as Harlequin, c. 1720

It’s worth saying this character is usually male, but increasingly we’re seeing female comic characters across the seasons. I think this is a really exciting development. The campaign for better representation of female comedians on TV and Radio has made huge in-roads against the incorrect belief held by some that women are less funny than men. Female pantomime comics are an exciting way to counter that myth in an exciting way.

'Please, please, no politics'

They’re usually loosley based on well known fairly tales or childrens stories such as Alladin, Cinderella and Puss In Boots.