Changes

Although pantomime is a traditional theater form, it has not become '[[fossil]]ized', and adapts to suit the needs of modern audiences. Most obviously, professional pantomimes recruit local and national [[celebrities]] to help pull in crowds. These are often [[soap opera]] actors, singers, or [[television]] and [[radio]] personalities. The stylised and exaggerated conventions of pantomime do not require much aptitude for naturalistic acting, so personalities from the worlds of [[sport]] (eg the [[boxing|boxer]] [[Frank Bruno]]), music and television have often been able to more than compensate for a lack of formal acting experience with a mixture of enthusiasm and the public's existing goodwill. It is not uncommon for every major part in a top-level pantomime production to be played by a [[synecdoche|famous face]]. A common exception is the dame: this role is so important and specialised that few famous people are able to play it successfully, although some well-known actors such as [[Christopher Biggins]] specialise in playing dames at Christmas time.

Although pantomime is a traditional theater form, it has not become '[[fossil]]ized', and adapts to suit the needs of modern audiences. Most obviously, professional pantomimes recruit local and national [[celebrities]] to help pull in crowds. These are often [[soap opera]] actors, singers, or [[television]] and [[radio]] personalities. The stylised and exaggerated conventions of pantomime do not require much aptitude for naturalistic acting, so personalities from the worlds of [[sport]] (eg the [[boxing|boxer]] [[Frank Bruno]]), music and television have often been able to more than compensate for a lack of formal acting experience with a mixture of enthusiasm and the public's existing goodwill. It is not uncommon for every major part in a top-level pantomime production to be played by a [[synecdoche|famous face]]. A common exception is the dame: this role is so important and specialised that few famous people are able to play it successfully, although some well-known actors such as [[Christopher Biggins]] specialise in playing dames at Christmas time.

Sometimes people who have been very famous, or 'serious' actors, see pantomime as a humbling sign of a career on the wane, but many others enjoy the work for its own sake - Sir [[Ian McKellan]] is a good example of an actor who chose to take part in pantomime when he had never been more sought-after in serious [[film]] and theater.

Sometimes people who have been very famous, or 'serious' actors, see pantomime as a humbling sign of a career on the wane, but many others enjoy the work for its own sake - Sir [[Ian McKellen]] is a good example of an actor who chose to take part in pantomime when he had never been more sought-after in serious [[film]] and theater.

As well as the cast, modern pantomimes often include topical [[joke]]s about current events, politicians and celebrities, and references to modern technology, revelling in the [[anachronism]] of, say, a [[motorbike]] appearing in a pre-[[industrial revolution|industrial]] English village. However, any modernization must be carefully judged, since part of a pantomime's appeal is the chance to enjoy a traditional form of entertainment that one would never see at any other time of year.

As well as the cast, modern pantomimes often include topical [[joke]]s about current events, politicians and celebrities, and references to modern technology, revelling in the [[anachronism]] of, say, a [[motorbike]] appearing in a pre-[[industrial revolution|industrial]] English village. However, any modernization must be carefully judged, since part of a pantomime's appeal is the chance to enjoy a traditional form of entertainment that one would never see at any other time of year.