Time for Women with Talent to Take Back Older Female Roles in Pantos

[SpringTimeIsRingTime]

Panto Dames have been a thing since 1806 when a certain Mr Simmons decided to play Mother Goose as a Witch (how original) rather than as a caring grandmother figure. Nowadays panto dames are mainly played by gay men in drag.

I think it's time for talented actresses to take back elder female roles from the tired tropes played by men since the Victorian era.

the character of the Dame was never a female role to begin with. It is a male character written for a male actor

I was just about to say that, but you beat me to it

I could say the same to you.

You have totally dismissed my comments as wrong.

Even if the male character was supposed to be a man (although another poster has just said the opposite a few posts back) I can still believe that women should be given the opportunity to play the Dame. Especially as their principle boy role is often now played by a man.

The company that perform the panto at my local theatre are a professional theatre company. They have a main characters which are written for women and performed by women.
They have different performances and cast performing in a number of theatres across the UK.

I didn't say every single panto I said ‘general trend’.

A general trend still affects women

That’s great! I am delighted that some productions are doing this.

As I said before

The panto my son was in last year the Fairy Godmother role was the main star billing.

You have totally dismissed my comments as wrong.
But you have been wrong so...

Even if the male character was supposed to be a man (although another poster has just said the opposite a few posts back) I can still believe that women should be given the opportunity to play the Dame. Especially as their principle boy role is often now played by a man.

The dame has always been a male character - that is a fact. Given your extensive expertise why don't you know that?

If a company wants to write a dame character for a women there is nothing stopping them. But it shouldn't be forced upon anyone.

They would need to accept that it would change the dynamic of the performance as much of the humour derives from the fact the character is male. But there is nothing stopping them.

I did say this in one of my earlier posts that it’s often a minor role unless it’s played by the top billing female or such like. It’s exactly what i wrote in fact.

I've never known the Fairy Godmother/Spirit of the Ring/Fairy Moonbeam character played by a member of the chorus. It has always been an older minor celebrity woman. The ones in my son's panto both this year and last year had fabulous voices as they had also done musical theatre as well as being a Cbeebies personality. Years ago when my daughter was in panto it was someone from Phoenix Nights.

@Comefromaway

"unless they have cast a famous female as the star the fairy godmother"

Calling them highly visible roles is a stretch.

The pride and prejudice panto was the best I’ve seen. It had lots of women and a male dame. You can do both

The script of the pantos generally stays the same regardless of who is cast, (with some added local bits) they just move around the different theatres. So the benevolent fairy role is the same size role regardless. And I have never seen it played by a member of the chorus.

The whole point is that it is topsy turvey.

I'd like to see the principal male actor go back to being a young woman which supports that element of the panto.

This year in my son's panto there was

Benevolent Fairy - star billing
Panto Dame - local actor
Comedy Sidekick - always plays that role at the theatre
Hero - Musical theatre actor/been on a TV show
Female baddie - fabulous musical theatre actor
Heroine - MT actor

IN the next city the panto he did last year there was

Male baddy - star billing
Benelvolent fairy - 2nd billing TV presenter
Hero - Theatre actor been on TV
Panto Dame
Sidekick
Heroine

AT the exact same panto last year the fairy was the star billing and the Hero 2nd billing

I totally agree with you.

My issue is how few female roles there are compared to men in most shows.

I’m coming at this from a feminist persepctive.

For all your experience and expertise Tankflop why do you keep referring to principle boy and not principal boy?

I despair. This thread isn't about giving women opportunities in the theatre. It was never intended to be.

The homophobia and transphobia shown by some posters on this thread under the guise of feminism is quite staggering. There. I've said it.

Oops sorry I am dyslexic.

Where?

Read the entire thread in one sitting. That should solve the puzzle for you. 🙂

No it hasn’t. Please could you point out what it is?

Tankflop - as you've never posted on any other thread, can you clarify whether you
a) joined specifically because somehow you heard about this thread;
b) are a previous poster to this thread but name changed to carry on your wind up; or
c) are being unbelievably obtuse?

Ok, it’s a bit rude of you.
I name change regularly.

Honestly I think you are being very rude

I'm older so I'm sticking with "actress" which I don't consider to be an insult any more than the word "Princess". It's borrowed from French where every noun is either masculine or feminine, ditto for Spanish & Italian and lots of other languages we borrow from.