Pantos - past their sell-by date?

[Squiblet]

Looking at the "what you have you booked for Xmas" thread, I noticed a lot of people were planning on taking their DC to the panto. Sometimes two pantos! But every time I've taken mine, it's struck me that their brand of humour is quite old-fashioned, and not in a good way.

Past audiences may have found it hilarious to see a man wearing ladies' clothes, but my DC thought nothing of it - it's something they see on the streets around town quite often nowadays. And the cartoonish/farcical elements didn't really appeal to them, because even cartoons are pretty sophisticated these days.

Interestingly, a lot of the topical jokes were about "family telly" like Bake Off, which the writers must have imagined the whole family would appreciate as a shared cultural touchpoint. But my DC went straight from CBeebies to streaming/YouTube. They watch the occasional DVD with us, but for them, prime time telly may as well not exist.

Maybe other people's DC get more out of the traditional panto? Happy to be proved wrong...

Oh no they’re not.

Some pantos are better than others. The theatre round here does a brilliant one. Highlight of my xmas

We are going to see Hairspray the musical this year instead of a panto, we won panto tickets last year but they gave us these tickets instead because obviously last year got cancelled, not sure how much my four year old will enjoy it

Although I loathe panto (always have although I love musicals and other theatre performances) I wouldn't want them to disappear altogether because they are such a tradition.

I love panto. Go every year

Pantos weren’t funny when I was five in the late 80s. I suspect they probably weren’t funny when my parents were five in the late 50s. Pantos aren’t funny and probably never have been!

I can't stand Panto. I know that's likely an unpopular opinion but I've been to several over the Years and I can't see the attraction! I honestly cringe for the entirety

I absolutely love our Christmas panto and my whole family does, all generations. It's always packed, so I personally don't think it is!

I do think it probably depends which panto though.

I love our nearest one but does depend on panto -we used to take DS on opening night as it usually coincided with his birthday and he loved the shout out from performers

Before Covid we went to see Circus 1903 at the Southbank one January - it was excellent

I've only taken my children once when someone we know (a former successful West End performer) was in one fairly close to us and got us tickets. It wasn't quite as horrific as I'd feared and our friend took the children backstage afterwards which they definitely enjoyed. It certainly wasn't as dire as the ones I had to endure on school trips as a child, but that's not setting the bar high. As a one off it was bearable but they never asked to go again thankfully.
Personally it's a tradition I'd happily see abandoned, but it's true that it does bring money into often struggling theatres which us a good thing, and lots of people obviously do enjoy it so I am fairly ambivalent. I don't find it funny or entertaining so I simply don't go. There are plenty of people who wouldn't enjoy the sort of things I like to watch when all said and done.

"Personally it's a tradition I'd happily see abandoned"

Why?

I think you have to go to a decent one maybe. Ours is brilliant locally but costing me almost £200 for good tickets x 4.

We have been to a panto a few times at the same theatre. I was skeptical initially but we have enjoyed it each time.

In terms of a man wearing women's clothes - the dame in this panto wears completely over the top crazy costumes not something you'd see anyone in normal life wear! The jokes tend to be based around local knowledge aimed more at the adults and silly jokes aimed at the kids. They always do a clever bit where each character finishes the previous ones sentence which is really clever and funny. The costumes are nice, the songs and dance routines are great and there is also a wow moment like a flying horse pulling the carriage in Cinderella. And of course lots of audience participation such as booing at the baddie. It is really well done.

Oh and it is a cheap one - tickets cost around £14 each.

The only time I've taken mine to a panto, DS started crying because he was scared of the villain, King Rat. DH had to take him out for the rest of the show. It was a good performance, that's why DS (then 5) was so frightened!

I was shocked at how much it was, my local panto the tickets for adults and children were £25 each! Family of 4 costing £100 for "he's behind you!" .....I don't think so!

Have you been to the theatre recently @mogkat?! £25 pp is a bargain!

@BIWI

Have you been to the theatre recently *@mogkat*?! £25 pp is a bargain!

I think it depends. Big city professional production - bargain Small town amateur production - not so much

I feel uncomfortable with the Dame jokes about womens bodies ie droopy boobs and belly etc

A couple of years ago DS was devastated to be off school sick the day the whole school went to the panto. "Never mind" I said "we'll take you" not realising how hard it would be to get tickets and how expensive. So we went, DH and I not especially looking forward to it. It was fantastic. I'm quite annoyed with myself for missing all the other years! Really, really funny, jokes that worked on two levels, loved it.

I used to go every year to a local theatre panto. It was always a total sell out, it was always really funny, lots of local jokes etc.

The dame was always played by the same chap, as was the baddie, the daft son, the beautiful princess etc.

They always sang the same song, soaked the audience with water pistols, threw sweets at the audience. Basically it was the same panto every year, they just changed a few names but it got funnier every year. It's one of the few things I miss about my home town.

I'm not a fan of Panto, it's not my cup of tea, although I go every year (I don't pay) I wouldn't say it's outdated, the one I go to manages to stay quite current- last time I went they read out live tweets from the audience (they were probably staged, but they encouraged the audience to tweet). I think the panto will be with us for many years yet.

I’m quite fond of a good panto.

As a child I was always desperate to be picked to go on stage but never achieved my dream. ☹️

My teens love panto, the sheer anarchy of it. They ask to go each year but then our local one is fantastic.

I think people don’t realise what skill it takes to do panto well. I saw Ian McKellen as Widow Twanky in Aladdin & he was rubbish - too mannered and careful. Also, where do you live OP that you see men dressed like Grayson Perry and women dressed like Peter Pan on the daily ?