The Wonderful World of Panto

T is for Topicality... A topical panto is a must: it should not only contain local gags and references but also reflect current youth culture. What modern panto for example could ignore the Simpsons?

P is for Pastiche and Parody... Dave Buchanan, for example, has a penchant for classic Hollywood movies, especially those of the Marx Brothers, Abbott & Costello, the Three Stooges, Laurel & Hardy, and Charlie Chaplin. "Jack and the Beanstalk" has a takeoff of the famous 'tootsy fruitsy ice cream' scene from "A Day at the Races", while the second act of "Stramash" is culled from many a comic horror masterpiece, like e.g. "The Cat and the Canary".
Bailes & Hales, on the other hand, go for musical parodies of popular artists like Village People, Abba and Kylie Minogue.

P is also for Plot... Good pantomimes are essentially about plot. Audiences should get a rattling good storyline that involves them in the hero's adventures. Comic and musical interludes plus spectacular FX are vital ingredients, but the three most important are plot plot plot!

SP is for Set Pieces... Tea parties, wallpapering scenes, haunted bedrooms, schoolrooms. Spotlight guarantees them! And a few original takes besides. How about the Loch Ness Monster (Stramash), the Great Wall of China (Aladdin), The Weakest Link (The Story of Snow White), or Blind Date (The Sleeping Beauty)? There are two Haunted Castle scenes (Stramash & The Scarlet Pumpernickel) and cave scenes galore!

How to write a Panto...

"There are a dozen familiar storylines from Aladdin to Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs. The trouble is they're too familiar. Let's take an example. There are simply no surprises in the plot of Dick Whittington, or in its characters. You are stuck with Alderman and Alice Fitzwarren, Dick and Tommy the cat, and Idle Jack and Sarah the cook. And King Rat. In Act 1, Dick arrives in London with cat, makes good, falls in love with Alice, and is framed by King Rat. In Act 2, he sails to Morocco, makes good, comes back a hero and marries Alice.

Don't knock it! As a panto plot, it's perfect. DW has stood the test of time because it has all the ingredients. It's the classic adventure story with two settings, the one familiar but colourful (mediaeval London), the other exotic (Morocco). Plus, there's the mandatory fun scene on board the "Saucy Sal" with many an opportunity for nautical overacting. With the Highgate Hill scene, kitchen slapstick and a really villainous "baddy" as well, it's no surprise that DW has remained a favourite with societies all over the UK." - from How To Write A Panto
Read more.

ALADDIN by Dave Buchanan Winnie's Washeteria
ALADDIN by Gill Morrell The Ring & The Lamp
ALADDIN by Richard Coleman Wishee & The Widows
ALADDIN by Ron Nicol Royal Entrance
ALI BABA & THE SIX THIEVES by Dave Buchanan The A.G.M.
ALI BABA & THE SEVEN THIEVES by Ron Nicol The Forty Thieves
BABES IN THE WOOD See below "Robin Hood & The Babes In The Wood"
BEAUTY & THE BEAST by Ron Nicol Beauty & Her Sisters
BO-PEEP by Christine Battison Dirty Business Afoot
CARADOC, OR, THE LEGEND OF KING ZOG'S TREASURE by Dave Buchanan Scruffy
CAROL'S CHRISTMAS by Peter Foord Bah! Wine Gums!
CINDERELLA by Dave Buchanan Fairy Foozle
CINDERELLA by Gill Morrell A Day's Shopping
CINDERELLA by Craig Hewlett Buttons
DICK WHITTINGTON by Dave Buchanan King Rat
DICK WHITTINGTON by Ron Nicol The Boat Drill
DICK WHITTINGTON by Craig Hewlett.
See below under "Young Sherlock Holmes & The Case of Dick Whittington's Cat"
GERONIMO! by Dave Buchanan The Greatest Bankrobber in the West
HUMPTY DUMPTY by Brian Freeland Enter Humpty
JACK & THE BEANSTALK by Dave Buchanan The Top of the Beanstalk
JACK & THE BEANSTALK by Robin Bailes & Jonathan Hales A Cunning Plan
JACK & JILL & THE BEANSTALK by Craig Hewlett Skint
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD by Fred Aylin A Dilemma
THE MAGIC SHOES by Jack Burgess Deep In The Dungeon
MOTHER GOOSE by Richard Coleman The Squire
ROB ROY - MEN IN KILTS! by Dave Buchanan Flash!
ROBIN HOOD & THE BABES IN THE WOOD by Dave Buchanan Dame Dannii
ROBIN HOOD & HIS MERRY MEN by Robin Bailes & Jonathan Hales The Taxman
ROBINSON CRUSOE by Brian Freeland The Laird o' Lundy
THE SCARLET PUMPERNICKEL by Dave Buchanan The Three Fops
SINBAD & THE GOLDEN CHALICE by Dave Buchanan Betty's Place
SINBAD THE SAILOR by Dave Buchanan Boarding The Argo
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY by Dave Buchanan Blind Date
SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN NOT PARTICULARLY TALL PEOPLE by Jack Burgess Royal Wedding chuckle stones
THE STORY OF SNOW WHITE by Dave Buchanan The Wicked Queen
STRAMASH, Or, A-Haunting We Will Go! by Dave Buchanan The Laird of Stramash
TREASURE ISLAND by Richard Hales, Mike Hogan & Claire Turner An Evil Plan
VIVA ZORRO! by Dave Buchanan Enter Zorro
YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE CASE OF DICK WHITTINGTON'S CAT by Craig Hewlett Lovely Grub

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