How much are Pantomime scripts reused?

[Polyethyl]

Just been to the Salisbury panto (wonderful).
If the programme is to be believed the script is written fresh every summer and then workshops through the autumn.
Previously we went to the York panto, where the script was written new each year by the Dame.

So, there must be a library of old Panto scripts. Do theatre companies swap and share, inserting fresh topical jokes?

Pantos are the ultimate formula performances.

Same cast, same jokes, same skits, same costumes - different theme.

I do ametur dramatics and we put on a panto every 2 years. We either buy the rights for one or write our own. There are heaps of ones to buy but there are rules around it.

In the ones we look at it says insert local town here or topical joke so you cb make them relevant

There’s next to no plot and the whole thing is incredibly formulaic.

It would be playwriting by numbers. Insert roughly themed group song here. Make joke about sending the villain to local rival town.

The formulas are part of the joy.
For the script writer I hope they find it fun to arrange a yet another new variation on giving the audience an opportunity to shout "He's behind you!"

Oh no they don't!

Oh yes they do.

I take my Brownies to our panto every year (main theatre in a small city, professional show with a couple of "celebs" each time). This year we had the same story with one of the same celebrities as 2017, quite a lot was the same including the jokes about neighbouring towns/local features, but other bits had been updated. And not a single "oh yes it is!" or "behind you!"

They didn’t used to bother with much of a script at all. Sandi Toksvig talks in her memoir about working in theatre at the beginning of her career and being completely baffled as the old hands would decide which set pieces they would put where in the rehearsals- ‘shall we do the ghost here, darling?’ etc. There are formulaic set pieces - the ghost bench, the laundry, painting the room etc.

I used to write pantomime for the school where I taught. There are certain formula to include but the storyline was written by me, usually based on an existing fairy tale. I always wrote it as close to rehearsals as possible to include anything topical. And we auditioned before I finished writing to try and give as many pupils words to say as possible. I never reused scripts or ideas.