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Original poster

Throwing sweets at pantos

53 replies

OldClothes · 19/12/2021 15:52

At a local amateur production I attended last week, some of the actors were throwing sweets to children in the audience.

One person I was with thought it was dangerous, not due to Covid but because some of the sweets were hard and someone might be hit on the head.

Any thoughts on this? Is sweet throwing dangerous?

OP posts:
Whitefire · 19/12/2021 15:54

They have been throwing sweets for ever and a day, I am not sure I have ever read of a "death by thrown sweet" so I presume all is good.

Thecomfortador · 19/12/2021 15:57

It happened when we were kids back in the 80s, I'd have thought if anything bad had happened someone would have put a stop to it by now.

HoldingTheDoor · 19/12/2021 15:58

I'd advise against throwing lollipops, remembering what happened to David Bowie at a concert, but otherwise it should be fine, unless they're throwing giant gobstoppers, which I doubt.

SnowyPetals · 19/12/2021 15:59

Injury by panto sweet is probably as rare as death by eating Dairylea upside down (remember that thread?!)

SequinnedShawl · 19/12/2021 16:03

Sweets thrown during panto is as old as the hills. Not anything to worry about.

NothingIsWrong · 19/12/2021 16:04

Was always wagon wheels for us! No major injuries that I am aware of...

cantgetmyheadroundit · 19/12/2021 16:04

OH NO IT ISN'T

Sorry.

Original poster
OldClothes · 19/12/2021 16:05

@SnowyPetals

Injury by panto sweet is probably as rare as death by eating Dairylea upside down (remember that thread?!)
I imagine so! I have heard of some over zealous councils banning it.
OP posts:
AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken · 19/12/2021 16:05

Booooooo hisssssssss

Whitefire · 19/12/2021 16:09

@NothingIsWrong

Was always wagon wheels for us! No major injuries that I am aware of...
You could probably take a head off with a wagon wheel though.
Peakedtoosoon · 19/12/2021 16:12

Hmm. They've banned plastic bottle tops at football matches because of the damage done when they're thrown. Is a sweet so different?

NuffSaidSam · 19/12/2021 16:12

As long as they're throwing them with gentle underarm throws and not pelting them at the kids it's probably fine!

100problems · 19/12/2021 16:12

You have to just hope they land BEHIND YOU!

WorraLiberty · 19/12/2021 16:14

You've just brought back a memory OP!

When my now 19r old DS was about 7, I went as a helper on a school trip to the local panto.

They made this big thing about throwing small boxes of 'healthy' dried fruit into the crowd, instead of sweets.

One box hit me on the edge of my knee and it bled so much, they had to call a first aider 🤣🤣🤣

TellMeItsPossible · 19/12/2021 16:17

Surely that's why we shout "it's behind you"? Safety first!

Original poster
OldClothes · 19/12/2021 16:18

@WorraLiberty Thats priceless 😂

OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 19/12/2021 16:20

@Peakedtoosoon

Hmm. They've banned plastic bottle tops at football matches because of the damage done when they're thrown. Is a sweet so different?
I thought that was to stop the full bottles being thrown?
TwistedOlivers · 19/12/2021 16:21

#deathbywerthers

WorraLiberty · 19/12/2021 16:23

I thought that was to stop the full bottles being thrown?

Yes it is. Same as most concerts I've been to.

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 19/12/2021 16:24

I worked panto for years and have bought untold numbers of tins of sweets for the Dame to throw during the singalong before the finale.

Not once in 20 years did anyone complain because they’d taken a Cadbury’s fudge to the forehead!

If I was still in the game, I’d probably not do it this year (pandemic & all) but unless you have the bowling prowess of Steve Smith, everyone will probably be ok.

I did get hit on the head with a sausage once, but it was an aimed throw by a mate when I visited their panto on a day off!

girlmom21 · 19/12/2021 16:24

Oh ffs - there's more chance of someone choking on the sweet than one hitting them on the head and doing any kind of damage 😂

Peakedtoosoon · 19/12/2021 16:25

I thought that was to stop the full bottles being thrown?

Maybe it is. I thought it was after a goalkeeper had a nasty eye injury from a lid

Holothane · 19/12/2021 16:25

I don’t like it call me a killjoy but I’ve had two detached retinas I do not want another, if this happens (it was at church years ago) I duck and stay ducked.

2anddone · 19/12/2021 16:26

The only danger from sweets being thrown at pantos that I can see is if someone is allergic to one and accidentally eats it! I used to do panto with am dram group and we couldn't give sweets out to people who came on stage for that reason...used to give an assortment of party bag tat instead!

ShirleyPhallus · 19/12/2021 16:27

Unless they’re using a trebuchet to launch gobstoppers then I think it’s probably fine