What's a Panto?

I’ve talked about pantomimes before, but I spent most of my life knowing absolutely nothing about them. Here’s my attempt to explain what they are, and why they’re great.

Pantomimes (or pantos, for short) are primarily musical comedies for children. They’re based on fairy tales or other classic stories, but with modern twists. They’re stuffed with songs, often pop song parodies. There tends to be a lot of cross-dressing, including a “dame” character who gets most of the for-adults jokes. And they involve audience participation, like booing the villain, or telling the oblivious performer on stage that there’s someone right behind them.

They’re a well-established Christmas tradition in the UK and Ireland. I first discovered them in Dublin, when I went to a showing of The Peter Pan Panto. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into.

You might wonder, then, why I’m such a fan. Despite being targeted at children, there’s plenty of humour and satire aimed at adults. I like silliness and singing. It’s fun to yell at people on stage.

It’s also a blast seeing something made for the local audience. At one point in West Van Story, two characters flee to Kingsgate Mall. It’s funny because it’s Kingsgate Mall. I can’t really explain it to you; all I can do is link you to the tribute song.

They’re fun and silly. I was shocked when I moved back to Vancouver, and discovered that they’re a thing here, too. They’re not as popular as in the UK and Ireland, but I’ve been evangelizing them to friends and co-workers. They’re going to be big here, oh yes they will!

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For another take, here’s a YouTuber who discovered pantos after moving to London. She includes pictures!