Pantomime is for many families one of the most enjoyable parts of Christmas, but the frivolity and fantasy of a successful production don't happen by magic. Putting on a show takes talent and hard work - and as fans and actors explain, panto is a great British tradition that deserves more respect.
When Robbie Williams recently told Sky News he was "proud to have an entertainment career this long" without "having to do panto", actor and producer Alan Mehdizadeh was moved to tweet in defence of pantomime, urging the pop star to "shut up and respect our industry". "Whilst [Robbie's] was a comment made in jest, it just made me think of the wider opinion sometimes of looking down on panto," says Mehdizadeh.
Renowned musical lyricist Sir Tim Rice joined the chorus, declaring Dick Whittington starring Julian Clary and Elaine Paige as one of the best West End shows in the past five years. The 2017 Qdos production at the London Palladium won a coveted Olivier Award for the best entertainment and family category. Pantomime is often considered the "dirty word" of theatre, according to Michael Harrison, managing director of Qdos Entertainment. But winning the Olivier Award signalled recognition from the West End theatre industry that pantomime could be "something quite special," he told The Stage.
John Challis, who is playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Nottingham's Theatre Royal, says he has seen a shift in attitudes during his more than 25 years of starring in pantomimes. "There's not as much snobbery as there used to be," he says. "People's view of entertainment has changed. We are living in such uncertain times that people just want to sit and have a laugh and let it all wash over them."
Mehdizadeh says much of the snobbery he has experienced is from other actors. "[I've heard] things like 'I can't think of anything worse than 1,000 screaming kids at 10.30am'," says the 36-year-old from London. "The theatre is a place of magic, of learning, of imagination and of escape. Pantomime makes all of those things possible, and it's such a treat for many children."
For opera singer Ellie Sanderson-Nash, pantomime was not a natural calling. But the 26-year-old took a chance on Charles Court Opera's production of Buttons: A Cinderella Story at the King's Head Theatre in Islington, London. "I've got to admit I was a little bit hesitant when I first went to audition for the part of Cinderella, just because I wasn't sure [panto] was well respected and would be good for my voice," she says. "But it's definitely changed my view, I've loved every minute of it. Everyone works so hard."
