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C W Cobbett's Wey DFAS is grateful for the support offered by The Farnham Herald. Please click on their logo below to visit their website. |
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‘Oh, Yes It Is: The History of Pantomime’ The Chairman, Elisabeth Cort, got the meeting off to a good start when she asked the members if they were ready for the lecture on pantomime “Oh, yes we are” they shouted back! Jane Tapley, the education officer at the Theatre Royal, Bath, began her lecture by defining pantomimes as a ‘cornucopia of comic calamities, cultural curiosities and complete codswallop’. Having set a lively, humorous tone, she then outlined the history of pantomime. The word itself comes from the Greek meaning a mime show. From classical theatre pantomime has taken masks, men playing women (the pantomime dame) and the skin parts (the pantomime horse/cow played by two actors). A major theme of today’s shows is good versus evil. This comes directly from the morality plays. The sixteenth century Commedia dell’Arte evolved from being a mime to a scripted show. In it Harlequin waves a magic wand to develop the plot – a device now used by the fairy. Mrs Tapley told the audience that the first pantomimes in this country started in the eighteenth century. One of the early actor/managers was John Rich who has been called ‘the father of pantomime’. He had a speech impediment and so relied on physical comedy – a tradition which still continues. Joey Grimaldi used to make his entrance in a carriage pulled by a dog (today we see actors arriving on stage in prams, on bikes etc.) Grimaldi also used real animals, again a tradition which persists. Ponies, for example, usually appear just before the interval - for good, practical reasons giggled Mrs Tapley. The tradition of going to the pantomime started in Victorian times when people went on Boxing Day. It appealed to all age groups and child actors were introduced. Cinderella and Aladdin are the most popular pantomimes and in both good prevails and, indeed, ‘Aladdin’ means ‘God is good’. Demons arrive on stage through a trap door from hell below whilst fairies fly in from above. Pantomime evolves and changes to suit current tastes. Lots of topical references are made to amuse the grown-ups whilst the children roar with laughter at the slapstick. Celebrities and television stars now take part to help attract new theatre-goers. The lecturer recounted how Ian Botham delighted the Bath audience by hitting balls of dough to the back of the balcony. In keeping with her subject, Mrs Tapley had her audience in stitches of laughter as she told tales of her experiences as a theatrical landlady. These she skilfully wove into her story of the history and the famous players of pantomime. A peculiarly British phenomenom, it continues to flourish and, as the lecturer pointed out, it is essential that it does as pantomime is most children’s first introduction to the theatre. After the lecture, the members of Cobbett’s Wey stayed to chat and enjoy a glass of wine and mince pies. The laughter and excited voices were testament to how successful the lecture had been.
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CWDFAS is a member of NADFAS |
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