The talk this month was delivered by Dean Nixon, and entitled, ‘A Cat, A Cow and a Coach’ and was all about – if you hadn’t already guessed – ‘the magical world of pantomime!’ Oh yes it was!
Dean began by declaring that it is an amazing part of our cultural heritage and the script often reflects society and what is happening in the world at a specific moment. He defined it as; ‘a genre for whole families based on fairy tales, nursery and real-life stories, usually staged at Christmas but not directly referencing Christmas’.
Apparently, it all started at the end of the 1600s and beginning of the 1700s with the Commedia dell ‘Arte In Italy and the characters of Scaramouche, Pantalone, Pierrot, Columbine and Harlequin found their way to London.
John Rich was the most notable early ‘Harlequin’, who danced and worked magic, but never spoke. He used a wooden stick which he would use to hit objects. This gives us the word ‘slapstick’ which is a tool still used in pantomime today.
Joseph Grimaldi was another extremely famous pantomime actor and in 1806 played Mother Goose for 92 nights. Later, he painted his face white (the famous white-faced clown) and was well known for using two very important pantomime sayings: ‘Here we are again’, and ‘Shall I?’. These are both used in pantomime productions year on year.
So where do the stories come from? They come from old, verbal or traditional stories and novels. Many pantomime tales come from Charles Perrault and the Grimm brothers (Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Puss in Boots etc.). From the Arabian Nights, we acquired Aladdin, Ali Baba and the Voyages of Sinbad and Robinson Crusoe gave us Dick Whittington.
There are many traditions associated with pantomime, such as gender switching, the inclusion of animals, audience participation, tried and tested pantomime jokes and specific characters. Dean told us about many of the famous men and women who had played principle boy or dame, including Dan Leno, Samuel Simmons, Lucy Vestris, Vesta Tilley and Marie Lloyd.
Dean ended the talk by asking if pantomime is relevant today. He concluded that it revives the fortunes of ailing theatres, brings families together and includes opportunities for the next generation of performers.
After many years working behind the scenes in the theatre, Dean was a mine of information about working backstage with the scenery and obviously about pantomime itself. This was a really interesting talk as most people would not think of reading about the history of pantomime. Dean’s talk was informative, amusing and interspersed with entertaining videos and was enjoyed by all!
Next month is the Northwich u3a Christmas lunch so there is no meeting at Owley Wood Recreation Club. We are back in Weaverham for the January meeting (3rd Wednesday), when you can pay membership fees and meet many of the group leaders. Come and join us!