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For our American-only readers:
* The second, and distinctly secondary,
meaning of 'pantomime' is a purely British invention of the last
200 years or so. It is a burlesque show, usually based on a fairy
tale or nursery rhyme, and set in some exotic location such as
the Middle East of the Arabian Nights, or the giant's castle
to which Jack climbs in the nursery story. Topical allusions,
slapstick and songs are inserted into the basic story, and there
is cross-dressing: the 'principal boy' in traditional pantomime
is played by a woman, the 'dame' by a man. Comic animals--eccentric
dancers dressed as horses, cows, geese, cats--proliferate. Nowadays,
in what some devotees see as a deplorable lapse from tradition,
popular comedians, sports personalities and soap stars take the
lead in pantomimes, often incorporating their own speciality
'business' whether or not it fits the story. A key moment in
every pantomime is the transformation scene, using all the techniques
of theatre presentation: in the 19th century, gauzes and quick
changes, nowadays drum-revolves, lasers and computerized effects.
This 'Christmas pudding' of an entertainment drew its roots and
star performers originally from the music-hall, and so has links
with the commedia dell'arte and thence with older forms of pantomime
(hence the name). But it has gone its own way since. Although
British pantomime rarely appeals beyond British shores, in the
UK it is the most popular of all theatre genres except for musicals,
and a two-or three-month run of the Christmas pantomime is often
what keeps a small theatre solvent throughout the year.
* The phrase "poaching on
my preserves" means "interfering in my business." |
