Are pantomimes not for kids any more or am I out of touch?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

The dcs school takes them to the pantomime each year. I'm not a fan of pantos myself, as the style of humour (slapstick with a bit of innuendo thrown in) isnt really my bag. I'm grateful that the school provides the trip.

Dd(10) has returned home from pantomime on Monday and she just kept saying "Mum it was so rude"

The just of it is that the male characters dressed in women's underwear and kept asking each other if they felt sexy. That the Dame kept flashing their underwear and blowing kisses to the other characters.

Dd isnt "sheltered" and does Panto every year so I assume is used to the usual levels of innuendo. But this year that's all she can talk about. Normally it's the songs and general jokes.

Is it just because she now "gets" the jokes? Or has Panto changed massively in the 10 years I've not been?

That sounds awful.
We go every year (small/medium sized city, usually slightly famous person in it) and have never noticed this. Very occasionally a not too rude double entendre but nothing like you describe. No underwear or “feeling sexy”.

Can you complain or feedback about it?

Depends where you go. Smaller is often better but the world famous and can’t be bettered Liverpool Everyman is the gold standard. Silly, irreverent and brilliant every time.
I believe there’s one in London that’s quite good too. Hippodrome?

Sounds pretty tasteless and weird for a kids panto. I think I'd mention it to the school. I know our local school used to go to pantomimes with big names and dodgy slapstick/innuendo then they stopped and went to a smaller place that was more about telling the story than famous men dressing up in big tits.

No haven't been to one for years but do remember being told that my 5 year old son was a 'nightmare' as he was standing up and singing along and dancing (it was Henry Winkler in Captain Hook so very 50s bent). I was so shocked - her kids (or maybe grandkids) were sat there motionless. Wish I had a good comeback then.
Anyway it was all good fun but maybe now some directors think 'this will be over the kids heads but the adults will find it funny' and you're right your child is old enough to 'get' it but it's embarrassing for her rather than funny.

@Tal45

Sounds pretty tasteless and weird for a kids panto. I think I'd mention it to the school. I know our local school used to go to pantomimes with big names and dodgy slapstick/innuendo then they stopped and went to a smaller place that was more about telling the story than famous men dressing up in big tits.

It does seem from the feedback that this the way this one is going (the TR in N - dont want to be too outing).

I asked a parent friend at the school at pick up if her kids had mentioned and she said her son had said "mum there was a woman in knickers and a bra and her boots went up passed her knees" which sounds more like cabaret at best/stripper at worst.

Another mum was there and she just said "oh lighten up they see more flesh on the beach on holiday" which imo misses the point

The dame's undies being on show isn't particularly unusual, they're usually big and frilly and designed to make the kids laugh.

I don't think the use of 'sexy' is usual in a family Panto though. It's generally more of the innuendo such as 'oooh what a lovely pair'

In my experience, yes they are! (Oh no they aren't...)

The schools in our town take all the Primary children to the theatre for a pantomime, we've been doing it for years. Like another poster said, we moved away from the 'Big' Panto (Edinburgh) and have been going to smaller ones in recent years as it was ending up being far less about the children's entertainment and far more about the egos of the main actors. Although the worst one I ever saw for being really inappropriate was actually one of the travelling pantos that came to the school I was in that year.

The smaller panto we went to in 2019 was brilliant (The Brunton, in Musselburgh), and last year they had recorded a panto and sent the video link to all of the schools so we could watch in class. We're not taking the children anywhere this Christmas due to Covid restrictions, but I really hope we continue to support the smaller, more local pantomimes.

We have a really small independent theatre down the street from the school who have just started running pantomimes .

I may suggest to the school they look to move to a local one.

I think it depends where you go. The one I go to is for all ages and is brilliant. Highly professional, very funny and apparently they teach pantomime theatre.

I thought the whole point was the “humour” is so subtle only the adults pick up on it?

@Amberflames

I thought the whole point was the “humour” is so subtle only the adults pick up on it?

This one sounds like it was a subtle as a brick.

I wonder from the description if they've gone with a drag queen as the pantomime dame?

Seeing the underwear of a dame isn't too weird - it's usually big frilly bloomers, so not even something kids would necessarily register as underwear - but the over the knee boots and bra sound more like drag.

@LagneyandCasey

The dame's undies being on show isn't particularly unusual, they're usually big and frilly and designed to make the kids laugh.

I don't think the use of 'sexy' is usual in a family Panto though. It's generally more of the innuendo such as 'oooh what a lovely pair'

Yes this is my experience of panto too. There's often some childish humour (e.g. big pants) or double entendres that will fly over the DC's heads, but I wouldn't expect words like 'sexy'.

I think I know the panto/ theatre you mean OP. I went a few years ago (if it's the same one they have the same company/ family putting on the panto each year) and I really didn't enjoy it. I found it quite old fashioned in its 'humour' quite a throwback! It made me feel uncomfortable, it was coarse, unnecessary and just not funny! I've since been to other pantos in other towns and they are nothing like that one. You should definitely suggest they go elsewhere next time.

Is this Snow White at Newcastle? If so it's a very traditional pantomime. I can't work out who the woman in knickers and a bra would be.

Pantomimes like this haven't changed, we have. Children are much more aware of innuendo, adults are less amused by slapstick.

I think recently there has been an increase in crossing line from fairly tame inuendo (which as you say has always been part of panto) to crude post watershed type jokes. From my experience behind the scenes there are some men who are too busy making it fun for themselves and forget their audience.

Like others, the best ones are usually smaller.

@CorrBlimeyGG

Is this Snow White at Newcastle? If so it's a very traditional pantomime. I can't work out who the woman in knickers and a bra would be.

Pantomimes like this haven't changed, we have. Children are much more aware of innuendo, adults are less amused by slapstick.

Have you been this year?

It appears they have moved away from the traditional storyline and added extra characters.

Anyone on here ever seen the Palladium panto with Julian Clary? His role is always full of innuendo. I've seen it twice. We see our local panto every year. It's brilliant.

I think panto has always been like this.

I was taken to see something or other when I was a kid. It had Frankie Howerd and Marti Caine in it so you can work out my approx age from that! Easily 30 years ago, if not 35. It was very rude, I think Frankie was running around smacking a giant fake bum at one point.

You don’t go to panto for the Borgen-style deftness of narrative.

If its the Newcastle one, we went to the Cinderella one a few years ago and some of it was really questionable. There was a part where Buttons had a flashing ball and he shoved it into the crotch of his pants so it could be seen flashing through the fabric. He did this while talking about how much he fancied Cinderella, leaning back so the bulge was even more prominent, and there were lots of double entendres about it. The bit where they have the 3D segment was not suitable for younger children, it was a walk through a haunted forest and had spiders, snakes, and ghosts leaping out (and had no connection whatsoever to the story). The guys who do it have a circus at Tynemouth too and that had questionable parts this year as well including a dancer in their underwear (actual bra and knickers) as part of a skit where he accidentally makes her clothes disappear as well as male characters in underwear, bras, and stockings.