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.

Good pantomimes have always had two levels, one for the children and another for the adults.

It's what makes panto bearable for adults 😂

I'm not so sure the local small theatre group pantomimes are less rude. Went to one last week, and there were a few moments where I had raised eyebrows and was thinking, "How have they got away with that?"

My mum assured me they've always been like that, and it's just that I'm now old enough to realise.

However it was funny, and my dd12 loved it and appeared oblivious. So either she's less streetwise than I had assumed or is much better at keeping a straight face than I am!

@Poppy61 I am so jealous you've seen John Partridge in panto! He was a substitution last year at our local one because the original star was ill. He was absolutely brilliant, what a singer, dancer, actor and all round talent.

Yes, the woman playing the principal boy role seems to have disappeared. I haven't seen a production in years doing that. I think it's a real shame because the swapping of gender roles was always one of the interesting things about pantomime, and it balanced the dynamic created by the dame being played by a man.

My name is Smee Seaman but I prefer Seaman 🙄

Yes, that's what panto is, lots of innuendo and jokes on two levels.

Oh no! I booked the Palladium Peter pan way back in January for me & my 6 year old and reading this is really worrying me!! I hadn't realised it wouldn't be suitable for children. We are seeing the matinee. I'm thinking I should leave her at home & find an adult friend for the other ticket??!

Most of it will go over your kid's head.

I have seen 5 of the Clary pantomimes at the Palladium, including this year's Peter Pan. They have always been smutty but funny but it felt different this year. My husband really enjoys them but he said to me they crossed a line this year from being smutty to just crude. I don't think I will go again. I would not take teenagers. Smaller kids, it would go over their heads, but teenagers would know what they are saying. The traditional pantomime aspect of it is still there but pushed to the margins. It has become something else.

Phew. I’m so glad it wasn’t just me!!! I’ve seen Julian live but you think he would have toned it down for families. Even if it was different on a night matinees should be more child friendly. I wonder what the others thought of it? I haven’t seen any reviews.

The reviews have been raving. As I said this was the 5th Clary one I have seen and this one felt cruder. We all know the deal with Clary, but it wasn't just him, others in the cast were very crude too. The fact I have been 5 times proves I am no shrinking violet, but I was shocked at some of the stuff that was said.

Weirdly, don't know if it is part of the act, Clary had to get something from the wings and it was wrong. Assume that was the act - but then he shouted into the wings, you stupid lesbian! Didn't see the other person. Not funny so was that part of the act?? Did he say that at your performance? This wasn't part of the crudeness but it did draw a surprised intake of breath from tge audience.

@AzureBlue99 - that wasn’t ad-libbed. Having seen it twice this weekend (cheap tickets to take my dd then ds) a matinee and then an evening show - I was surprised that all of the ‘mistakes’ and also the chatting to the audience bits were repeated between the two shows and it lost its charm slightly because of it.

I was disappointed with Jennifer Saunders making everyone repeat the ‘they’re just words’. Also the jokes about flaps and boxes would have gone straight over my 10yr olds head if it hadn’t been for that, but she asked why it was ‘rude’ afterwards because of that.

It’s the 4th time we’ve been - we saw Goldilocks and the 3 bears, pantoland and jack and the beanstalk. The other 3 I absolutely loved. I wasn’t sure if it was the cheap (restricted view) seats I got this year that made me like, but not love it this year… but it did seem less funny and more rude for the sake of it. Tinker bell being a guy (non binary?) was fine, but the random dance where all the female fairies had moustaches annoyed me a bit.

Overall though - I did really enjoy it, but I wouldn’t recommend anyone see it twice! 🙈

Oh we were on the cheap seats but second row and the view of him flying past was great. Does he go through the roof every year? Yes the lesbian joke was there, I was more annoyed at the rimming and dusting jokes. I thought they were half drunk or hadn’t rehearsed but it seems they were like that in all the performances? I mean there was a lot to love about it, I thought Jennifer Saunders was hardly in it and didn’t really add to it,

I just don't believe anyone was referencing rimming or fisting in 70s panto.

Jennifer Saunders was lacklustre I thought. If you compare her to Dawn French, Paul O'Grady, Amanda Holden who have appeared in previous ones. Dawn did it twice. The only worse one was Matt Baker - the pay must have been good. TV's Mr Clean in smutfest!

There was no way some of the stuff in this panto has appeared in pantos of years ago. Rob Madge who played Tinkerbell is undeniably talented but all the gay pride stuff got a bit wearying. Panto is as camp as anything but the endless I Am What I Am singing pushed out the traditional panto aspect.

He doesn't go through the roof each year, this was a first. He looked like he was shitting himself.

@EachandEveryone last year a massive beanstalk ’grew’ up the centre of the stalls to the roof and Jack shinned up it and disappeared! It was a real ‘wow’ moment!!

I was sitting right next to that beanstalk! I was fascinated how they got rid of it in the interval. The guy that played Jack last year played Peter Pan this year.

Approx how many children would you say are at the Matinee performances? I'm wondering if we will look out of place at a Matinee? (Me & a 6 year old)

Pantos have always been absolutely vile in my book. The last thing I would want to take children to as it's it's either wildly inappropriate even if hopefully over their heads or it's taking the piss out of the kids with stupid jokes at their expense.