Well the 1st December can only mean one thing…. IT’S CHRISTMAAAS!
Now many of you will be preparing your own school nativity but in this week’s blog we wanted to showcase our very own Christmas workshops!
As a theatre in Education Company, our main objective is to educate through drama and our ‘Pantomime in a Day’ Play in a Day does just that! What better way to look at the history of pantomime and here’s a quick guide of the pantomime origins…
The Pantomime
The Pantomime has become a British tradition each Christmas with millions of people heading to their local theatre every year to join in on the fun! It’s an immersive, interactive experience loved by many and allows the audience to be one of the stars of the show (ohhhh yes you can!)
Bright, colourful scenery dazzle audiences supported by extravagant costumes, comedy and singalongs.
Pantomime's origins
“Pantomime has its roots in 'Commedia dell'Arte', a 16th-century Italian entertainment which used dance, music, tumbling, acrobatics and featured a cast of mischievous stock characters.”
However, it was the Victorians that cemented the roots in Pantomime as we know it today. The 1800’s saw the real acceleration of Pantomime and once the restrictions on spoken word were lifted, “witty puns, word play and audience participation were added to the repertoire of mime, daring chase scenes and spectacular transformations”.
The development of Pantomime over the past few centuries has ultimately evolved to what we know today as a popular Christmas tradition for families all over the UK.
From ‘Dick Whittington’ to ‘Aladdin’ to ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ we are now spoilt for choice with story and a whole host of popular faces at the helm!
Take a look at some of our other Christmas themed workshops:
- ‘Tis the Season
- A Christmas Carol
- Beanstalks! (And how to climb them)
- Pantomime in a Day
- The Konflux Nativity
- The Victorians
(https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-pantomime?srsltid=AfmBOor3Hqu4P-ry8XFDs_J6KdZU5mG4jw7rVlJm6MzHHWWkVBY53P9D)
