is panto harmless fun or sexist claptrap? do you go? (and which should I take dds to?)

[hatwoman]

I like the idea of a famiy Christmas outing to the panto. Last year we went to see Cinderella in Wimbledon and - although dds enjoyed it it was pretty awful - Cinderella was a total wimp but never mind that, she got her prince (as all hard-working pretty girls do). However even dd at the grand old age of 6 saw through the rubbishy element of it, so maybe it's harmless. This year the choices are Peter Pan at Wimbledon, Jack and the Beanstalk at Richmond or an unknown story about Lucy and Father Christmas at the Polka/polka dot (?) Theatre in Wimbledon. My instinct is that the Polka one is perhaps the best option - except that it's premised on whether or not FC exists. a debate I'd like to put off...

did you just call cinders a whore?

depends on the theatre - went to a couple in Oldham - and thought they were great - loved all the joining in - the kids just gave me an excuse.

the theatre was huge and this evoked quite a presence and atmosphere.

went to worthing last year.
OMG

its about 2 inches x 2 inches.

about 80 epople - MAX

the stage is so close its practically up your arse

i hated it and wouldnt waste my money again.

however i would go to one in a city - like brighton or manchester

but my kidss are too old now

its rare rare moments like these when an nice 5 year old grandkid would come in handy

also for big slides on holiday.

The theatre where we used to live it was quite normal for parties of adults with no children attached to go to the evening performances - coach trips from work etc etc - the jokes would be much filthier - a lot more fun than the matinees which seemed tame in comparison.

But we are talking about taking kids so I would say Pantos - yes, love them, but go to a matinee unless they are older.

We go but to the local church one.. it is fab in a corny kind of way... cost next to nothing and no-one would complain if you DD got up and walked around etc.. (although thank god they don't)..

We are going to see Alice in Wonderland this year and can't wait...

yes it is great we are going to the one in oldham this year and dd3 is lso going to th lowry one with charlie from corrie as the baddie
yes it can be sexist
yes itcan be corny
and its hard explaining to a 3 yr that the leading boy is a girl but is a prince etc but I love it family outing good laugh and even funnier when they frget lines and dlib for the parents so yes harmless and fun

ooh spelling adlib

all4girlz - last year dd - age 5 at the time - said in that suspicous - why on earth have the growns up done it like this way - "mummy, are the ugly sisters men?"

mmmm I've been weighing up the Polka v Richmond theatre option

think the Polka is cheaper and someone else told me that particular play was quite good. However, dh's mum has volunteered to take the kids to Richmond (easier for her to get to) so the decision has been taken for me! My impression was the polka one is very much geared towards the children while the richmond one is sort of entertainment for the whole family (no doubt sexist jokes, nudge nudge wink wink etc.)

I'm taking the Inferiorettes up to Waterloo, to see The Magic Pig at the Young Vic. This is, however, fiendishly expensive and I can't quite understand why I did it (vague guilt at the fact their main - make that only - intake of any sort of performance is via the telly, I reckon). I am quite tempted by Mark Ravenhill's panto at the Barbican (Bink suggested this) not least because I could airily mention the name of Ravenhill's best-known play to DP's youngest brother who (a) is rather strait-laced (b) considers me a respectable middle aged lady.

A good old-fashioned panto is entertaining and very funny. Bad ones are dire. You get rubbsih script and acting in pantos like any sort of theatre. Choose with care.

I don;t think a panto is likely to have ever influenced a child.

I likea bit of lewd inuendo in a panto.

How old do you think DC should be to go?

Lots of lewd potential in The Magic Pig.

Sorry - that seemed very inappropriate to flossam's post

We are going this year as friends are buying tickets for us as a Christmas present. I think ds will enjoy it and it is something we haven't done before so I am looking forward to it. I vaguely know a couple of the performers as well.

It is not generally my sort of thing, I find it slightly unsettling along the same line as clowns - the running into the audience type thing. I think I also remember being embarrassed for the performers in mediocre panto as a child, which has scarred me.

I don't mind the lewdness - in fact the ugly sisters last year provided ample adult laughs by latching on to one particular guy in the audience - it's just the rubbishy story lines of a lot of fairy tales - Cinderella being one of the worst I guess. I didn't mean that it was awful as a whole - I thought it was pretty good overally - but it was awful from the wimpy pretty slavish woman being whisked off her feet by the heroic man (whilst nice honest Buttons gets pushed aside for not being a prince and/or good looking enough) pov. but maybe that's just Cinderella

overally?

50 recommended Christmas shows from the Observer yesterday - mostly in London but some outside too.

Ds seeing Dick Whittington at the Barbican with school, will take him to see The Magic Pig at the Young Vic. He is seven hatwoman.
I believe the Hackney Empire's panto is better than most in London...