Pantomime is a form of entertainment performed during the Christmas season.  The art of Pantomime is as old as humankind.

‘Pantomime’ is a combination of the ancient Greek words ‘Pan’, the god of Nature and ‘Mimos’, an imitator or actor.  

This gives the meaning of ‘an imitator of nature’.

Pantomime was first mentioned with the dawn of the Roman Empire. The Emperor Augustus (63BC - 14AD) has been credited as being the originator of Pantomime. Soon after its innovation among the Romans, Pantomime spread all over Italy and the provinces.

British Pantomime dates back to the middle ages, and combines the traditions of the Italian ‘Commedia dell’ Arte and the Italian Night Scenes (short plays performed in villages). Victorian Music Hall performers contributed to the variety of the British art form allow it to adapt and survive to the present day.

Tradition

Traditional Pantomime begins with a strong story line. Good battles against evil and ultimately triumphs over it.  This varies little from the medieval morality plays, performed on village greens and more ancient pagan ‘Mummers’ plays.

To this day ‘tradition’ says that the Pantomime villain should be the first to enter, from the ‘dark side’, stage left, followed by his adversary the good fairy from ‘light side’, stage right.  This carries on the tradition of medieval times when the entrances to heaven and hell were placed on stage left and right.