Panto!

Whilst it might be a tad too early for us here at Nutty’s to start talking about just Christmas yet - I mean, we can happily give it a passing mention but let’s hold back on the roast turkey with all the trimmings for now - there is a particular reason why I, James, am feeling relatively festive already. ‘Why?’ I hear you heckle from the back of the stalls. Because its PANTO SEASON, of course! Oh yes it is! (cue: any other number of classic panto shoutouts).

The Great British Pantomime.

Where to start with this cultural jewell of ours? Well, whilst the origins of pantomime can be traced back centuries to the ancient Italian theatre practice of commedia dell’arte, panto as we know it today really is uniquely British. Other countries, wherever they may be in the world really are baffled, confused, and amused by this eccentric display of sparkly costumes, custard pies and re-lyricized pop songs. But year, after year, after year, the British public go back for more.

Now, as light-hearted and entertaining as pantomime is, there are also more serious aspects to its existence. 

For starters, it is often a child’s first experience of live theatre and that really is important. If pantomime is done well, then children will enjoy it. If they enjoy it, they may want to go back and see another pantomime and, hopefully, more theatre in general. These live theatre experiences help to nurture a child’s imagination, creative instincts and critical thinking - crucial things for all of us at any stage of our lives. (And hey, here at Nutty’s we have adventure parties which take you into space, to the other side of the world and to Ancient Egypt and even some where you rub shoulders with dinosaurs! So we are all about imagination!)

Secondly, pantomime, or any form of Christmas show for that matter, is absolutely integral to the continued economic success of our theatres. They are often the busiest time of year for any venue, with thousands of families and school children packing out their auditoriums and buying programmes and interval ice creams. The profits from the festive schedule always serves as a financial boost to the theatre sector through the rest of the year which is especially welcome given  the volatile economic times we currently live in.

But why am I (James) so obsessed with panto right now? Simple - because I’m doing one! I am currently in rehearsals for Cinderella at the Capitol Theatre in Horsham, Sussex. All of the entertainers at Nutty’s are working actors and often hop off for theatre or filming gigs every now and again. Panto seems to have become a bit of a staple in my calendar in recent years and I have to say…I LOVE every second of it. Most of my theatre work tends to be along the lines of Shakespeare or a Dickens adaptation which I enjoy very much, but having the opportunity to abandon the more serious stuff for sassy dance routines, outrageous wigs and an avalanche of puns so bad they are brilliant, is a welcome contrast. Especially at Christmas! 

So why not take the kids along to a pantomime this Christmas? Prices are usually pretty reasonable and there are often family tickets available. South London, home of Nutty’s and host to a large chunk of our parties has no fewer than FIVE pantomimes! This year you can catch Goldilocks (Richmond), Snow White (Wimbledon), Peter Pan (East Croydon), Jack & The Beanstalk (Bromley) and Robin Hood (Greenwich). Or you could pootle on down to horsham and see me in Cinderella. Whichever one you go to, you won’t regret it; you’ll be supporting a local theatre, exposing the kids to some classic British culture and, of course, having a bloomin’ good laugh (oh yes you will!).