Have pantomines always been so adult?

[EachandEveryone]

Peter Pan to be precise. Ive just got back with my sister and 10 year old nephew. Julian Clary now, I saw him at an AIDs benefit in the 90’s and I love him but honestly theres a time and a place for every thing but this was a Xmas day out. His costumes were out of this world and he did a lovely tribute to Paul O Grady however all the bumming and rimming jokes? Being shafted by ten pirates and there may or may not have been a fisting one thrown in.. Its a great panto but so many gay fairy jokes my nephew looked flummoxed, my sister had a face like stone and I was snorting in my sleeve because in a show after afew drinks he probably would be very funny.

I saw Peter Pan several times many years ago as a child and a teenager; it was then a straightforward and non-smutty Christmas play aimed at children. I expect today's youth happily let Tinkerbell die(if that part is still in it). Another play was The Glass Slipper (a non-panto Cinderella). Also in my distant memory is Where the Rainbow Ends which I believe was vaguely patriotic.

I went to one last year and it was rank, tbh. Crude and unfunny, and full of cackling.

The last panto I went to was about 15 years ago in York and it wasn't that filthy. A few risque jokes and comments from the Dame to one of the very camp boy dancers 'she' fancied but most of it was really silly stuff that children could identify with. Though they did make 'If you like it then you'd better put a ring on it' sound ruder than it ever had before.

Yes I think panto has always been packed with sexual innuendo. We recently saw Peter Pan with Boy George headlining. It was a brilliant performance but quite naughty.
Oh and they took the piss out of the pronoun malarkey as well, which made it all the more enjoyable 😉

I think Julian will be in it every year he seems to have taken Paul’s place. The costumes are out of this world it must cost a fortune to put on. I won’t say anything so as not to spoil it

Pantomimes in the traditional sense are grim. Stuck in so many outdated stereotypes
Why does the the guy play the hero? Why does there have to be a pretty woman in a supporting role? And don't get me started on the hyper sexualised frankly homophobic jokes. There's so much fantastic kids theatre out there. The Christmas show we go to these days has no celebrities, the roles aren't gender stereotyped, there are jokes for the kids and jokes for the adults but they're not smutty. Think Pixar level script clever-ness. It's time pantomime caught up with the 21st century.

Reporting back that there was smut. I wasn't exactly aghast, but I definitely internally raised my eyebrows a few times. I did like that they ultimately made the female character the hero, though. I was pleasantly surprised.

The palladium one is much more adult (and much more expensive).
I would recommend Windsor panto.

Fnar

We had the cheap seats and my sister said it was the same price up North. £200 in the stalls though!!! I’ve looked and it’s mainly the same cast every year so at least we will be prepared next year😀

The palladium panto is mainly aimed at adults and advises parental discretion due to innuendo. We went to Sleeping beauty in Norwich yesterday and it was pretty family friendly with just a couple of jokes that only the adults would get. I enjoyed it more than the palladium which gets a bit samey.

Yes. I have always hated them.

Yes they have always included smutty jokes aimed at the adults. Mostly they go over the children's heads.

I last went to a panto in my early 20's nearly 40 years ago. I was surprised then by the double entendre from the pantomime dame which must have always been there but went completely over my head as a child. I do you recall all the adults laughing a lot so that must have been the reason.

Your complaining that Julian Clary was risqué? That's what he does!

We’re going in January. DS is 7 and knows JC from Taskmaster (we watch the bleeped version). I reckon 7 is quite a good age as he will get the mainstream jokes but won’t get any of the innuendo. Was Jennifer Saunders good?

We normally go to a more “regional” panto near where my in laws live. It is good fun but very little in the way of innuendo.

Julian Clary has been doing the panto at the Palladium the last 6 years or so. I have seen it about 4 times and I am going this week to Peter Pan. It's an ensemble cast with the main players being Clary, Nigel Havers, Gary Willmott, Paul Zerdin. They are joined each year by a variety of big names - Paul OGrady one year (that was a fab year), Amanda Holden, Dawn French etc. It is filthy but funny. I am not sure I would take kids but it would go over their heads. The production is amazing. With Julian, you know what you are going to get.

I went to that a couple of years ago, it was very rude and I personally wouldn't take kids.

We went to a local one tonight and I am sure there were a few more dodgy jokes than last year. (But nothing like palladium)

Our local panto is starring John Partridge.
He was fabulous as were the rest of the cast. Children and adults had an equally fun night. Not been to a panto in years, but hoping to go again next year. Its not panto is it isn't a bit naughty!

Our small town one has been brilliant. We've taken our children for the last 4 years - from the age of 8 up really.

I never went as a child so I can't compare. It was slap stick, political jokes and double entendres from the panto dame. Nothing too offensive. The female lead was the hero.

Fisting and Rimming?
I think I only found out what they were relatively recently - but are these jokes funny, I used to find Stephen Fry 's constant innuendo on QI irritating.
Is it funny? Maybe it's funny if you are a gay male.

Yes they have always been quite adult but carefully dont as kids dont understand the double entendre

But in the traditional panto, the guy did not "play the hero" , it was always a woman playing the "principal boy". When Coronation Street staged a panto many years ago, Elsie Tanner was the Prince!

We’ve been going to the one in Bath for many years and it’s definitely getting increasingly filthier. Last year’s was just awful. I think ‘jokes’ about being taken up the arse whenever the camp guy comes on stage have very much had their day.