Pantomime
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Pantomime (or 'panto' for short) is a traditional form of theater that is popular in the United Kingdom at Christmas time. All pantomimes share certain features, including a matronly 'dame' character played by a man in drag, an exaggeratedly evil but incompetent villain, a final wedding scene, audience participation and earthy humor. Most pantomimes use a traditional plot (often a fairy tale), such as Cinderella, Dick Whittington or Aladdin, but almost any well-known story can be adapted into a recognisable pantomime by incorporating the characteristic features of the form.
Characters
All pantomimes feature all or most of the following stylized characters:
- The protagonist is usually a young man (though there are exceptions, eg Cinderella), good-hearted but poor, who is caught up in extraordinary or magical events.
- The villain must be as evil as possible in every way, often doing evil for its own sake, mistreating his (or her) own henchmen, taunting the audience, and laughing at the sufferings and misfortunes of others. However, while the villain always has an extremely elevated opinion of himself, he is often somewhat incompetent, and will inevitably be outwitted by the hero at the end.
- The protagonist always has a love interest who is pure and good-hearted, and may be the daughter of the villain. In some plays, such as Cinderella, both protagonist and love interest are traditionally played by women, but this is accepted by audiences who are aware of the stylized conventions of the genre.
- There is always a buffoon to provide comic relief. He is a good-hearted simpleton, and often displays unrequited love for the protagonist's love interest (although this does not lead to conflict, as he is too shy to act on his impulses.
- The good fairy or fairy godmother embodies all that is righteous and watches over the hero. She often plays little part in the action, instead greeting the audience at the beginning of the performance and acting as a kind of narrator between scenes. The exception is that she sometimes uses her magical powers to rescue the hero just when it looks like all hope has been lost - a kind of deus ex machina device.
- The Dame: The most recognizable element of a pantomime, the dame is a caricature of an unattractive and slow-witted yet likeable and warm-hearted older woman. She is often the mother of the protagonist, and is always played by a man. The dame's costume is very colourful and elaborate, usually involving multiple layers of petticoats and thick make-up. The dame is usually not involved in the main plot, instead providing light relief, bantering with the audience and pursuing relations with all kinds of unsuitable men. Much of the dame character's humor stems from her efforts to maintain appearances of ladylike dignity despite being naturally graceless and coarse, and while getting involved in undignified and often ludicrous situations.