Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

...to deprive DC of Panto

46 replies

Acostapurposes · 23/12/2015 18:44

I went for the first time today. I have moved to a small, parochial town and most of my parent friends were going. They go en masse every year. So I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

It was dreadful and far too long.

Im now scared that I will be press ganged into doing this for next ten years!

People are so passionate about this over here.

Did I just see a bad performance? Shall I give it another chance?

DC will want to go as all their friends go but at 25 quid per head and time I'll never get back, would it be unreasonable to just say no?

How do I tell this jolly lot that I think panto is.... well... pants?

OP posts:

NorksAreMessy · 23/12/2015 21:08

'Peter Pan goes wrong' is the nearest thing to a panto I will ever go to.
It was utterly completely brilliantly funny.

Actual panto...no thanks

lalalonglegs · 23/12/2015 21:09

Whatever the quality, your children will probably love it, if you book in advance there are generally a lot of deals and reductions to be had so you may pay £25 each this year but next year, you won't have to. Pantos often subsidise provincial theatres' programmes for the rest of the year.

Narp · 23/12/2015 21:09

Norks

Was it you who saw it on Sat too?

Brilliant - I have not laughed as much at a performance

NorksAreMessy · 23/12/2015 21:32

Nope, earlier in the year. We are still laughing about Max's trolley though

Narp · 23/12/2015 21:34

Norks

I sat next to Max's dad - he told me that they have all be injured (unsurprisingly). I loved Tinkerbell's posing and the shadow. All of it actually

Have you see The Play That Goes Wrong? - also excellent

And there's a new production opening in March about a Bank Heist

NorksAreMessy · 23/12/2015 21:40

I want to go again now!
You sat next to Max's dad...ROYALTY!

Sparklycat · 23/12/2015 21:40

My rule for panto is to only go to pantos at really big professional theatres, ones that are receiving theatres and not producing theatres. The smaller theatres are always painful, and stay totally away from amdram at all costs!

DragonRojo · 23/12/2015 21:41

I have seen 1/2 pantomime in my life, and so has DS. We had to leave as it was unbearably bad IMO. I will never waste money in another one again. We go to the theatre at least once a month but just not pantos. So IMO, YANBU. They are not worth it

Narp · 23/12/2015 21:44

Norks

I know. He overheard me saying how good Max was and started talking to me. I told him he should be proud. He said they are taking the play to Broadway! Not bad for something that started at the Edinburgh festival

Geraniumred · 23/12/2015 21:48

You don't have to go if you don't want to, there are plenty of other things to go and see at Christmas. I've seen two already this year - one was dire and the other (am dram) was quite good. We'll also be going with family to see the local professional one (without celebs) - which is always extremely well done.

TheBestChocolateIsFree · 23/12/2015 21:49

Some pantos are great, some are awful, you need to pick with care and know what you are looking for. And some celebs are brilliant while some are dreadful. Richard Wilson was dire, because he was playing on a character who meant nothing to the assembled 6 year olds. Gareth Gates was perfectly OK because he just got up there and acted competently and sang nicely. Tim Vine is always value because he shoehorns every conceivable pun into the dialogue. John Barrowman is a complete tart who will stop at nothing to get the audience to look at him: panto gold.

MrsJayy · 23/12/2015 21:49

We go to a local 1 and its hilarious i do have low guttiral humour though, but its great fun and silly but i have been to bigger ones and they were rubbish really bad yanbu to not like it and not to pay out to be miserable. Next year try and find something else christmassy to do.

HelenaJustina · 23/12/2015 21:51

I'm not a fab, luckily my MIL is and takes the DC every year... They have a great time and I get a child free day in December!

Wagglebees · 23/12/2015 21:52

Pay to is often the very first theatre performance a child will see for some kids they're the only performance they'll see. They're the door to all other kinds of theatre. The experience can be enough to light an interest in the ones who will grow up to love going to the theatre and watching live performances. Making it accessible to everyone is a good thing imo.

Although I'm very glad I don't have to go to panto as an adult, I loved them as a child though.

Wagglebees · 23/12/2015 21:52

Ignore that last though

MrsJayy · 23/12/2015 21:52

I saw John Barrowman 2 years ago he is so funny a complete panto tart The hoff is doing JB panto this year booo

Chapsie · 23/12/2015 22:08

Hate it.

Make DH responsible for panto- booking and taking.

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 23/12/2015 23:59

I will never take my kids to a panto because I hate them.

FlatOnTheHill · 24/12/2015 00:26

25 quid per head? What do you actually get for that apart from the long shit panto. Dont start going or you will have to keep it up every year. Sounds fucking dreadful OP

notquitehuman · 24/12/2015 00:46

Our local theatre does an adult panto. I was talked into going on a work night out. Absolutely embarassing. It was like a Jim Davidson stand up act.

I'd sit through a thousand shitty kids pantos before seeing that again.

Original poster

Acostapurposes · 24/12/2015 07:40

So panto is gateway theatre for better theatre forms? (Shudder)

Will perhaps try a smaller venue next year but am still not convinced

OP posts:

Flip

1 2