S24 Performance of Children's Literature

CASD 1717 – Spring 2024

The Pantomime Tradition and Peter Pan

As you heard above, Barrie was a very successful playwright. In Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie created something new, mixing high-art theatre with the low tradition of Pantomime performance. Panto performances continue to this day.

Watch this brief clip from the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, England, to learn a bit about how this type of performance works today,

It’s Not a Panto – Peter Pan Goes Wrong

You don’t need to watch all of this, but watch some to get a sense of this recent Peter Pan that plays with the Panto tradition in a new way. This is a shortened version of their production filmed for the BBC. A version of the play came to Broadway last summer. You can also see a

What can you take away to help with your performative skills from the Panto tradition? Would you want to go to a Panto? Do you have questions about it?

Go back to Contexts
Go to Peter Pan Everywhere

Comments

18 responses to “Panto and Peter Pan”

  1. Obeed Ahmed Avatar
    Obeed Ahmed

    The Panto tradition provides insightful information for improving performance abilities. First and foremost, pantomime demands that performers actively connect with the audience by breaking the fourth wall and inviting involvement with jokes, improvisation, and call-and-response exchanges. This improves communication, improvisation, and adaptation abilities while building a close relationship with the audience. Panto also has a strong emphasis on physical humor and exaggerated characterizations, which may aid performers in becoming flexible in their representations of a range of characters and in successfully expressing emotions. Additionally, the collaborative style of plays promotes group performance and teamwork, strengthening bonds and cooperation among the company. If you’re a performer trying to hone your audience engagement abilities, going to a pantomime might be quite beneficial.

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  2. hannah xhani Avatar
    hannah xhani

    What can you take away to help with your performative skills from the Panto tradition? 

    Panto is an important part of UK theater. The most important thing is to get the audience involved. I just think that maybe having some engagement would boost my confidence.

    Would you want to go to a Panto?
    of course

    Do you have questions about it?
    do any audiences stan up and dance during the show.

    Reply
  3. Badra Ahmad Avatar
    Badra Ahmad

    From the Panto tradition, performers can learn audience interaction, physical comedy, improvisation, and characterization to enhance their skills. I would Attend a Panto as they could offer insights into its lively and interactive nature.

    Reply
  4. Natasha Marques Avatar
    Natasha Marques

    What can you take away to help with your performative skills from the Panto tradition? 
    Engaging with the audience is key and keeping their attention is a must. By practicing improvisational skills performers can sharpen their ability to think on their feet, adjust to unexpected situations, and enhance their creativity on stage. The amount of energy and enthusiasm a performer has can help captivate audiences, maintain their attention, and create an engaging and dynamic stage presence.

    Would you want to go to a Panto?
    I would love to go to a Panto. It reminds me of Saturday Night Live. It is acting out the story but bringing humor into it. I actually really enjoyed it. It was like a comedy and a Broadway show into one.

    Do you have questions about it?
    How come they don’t interact with the audience more? Is all showing the same do they have lines that they change up depending on how the story is going?

    Reply
  5. Cheyenne La Fritz Avatar
    Cheyenne La Fritz

    Something I can take away to help with my performative skills is having 100% commitment to the bit. Expressing the story with both body language and vocal enthusiasm. I like the theatrics of the Panto so incorporating things such as props can gauge students’ attention. Read Alouds must have student involvement through questioning but it can also be done through reactions to what is happening in the story. I would love to go to a Panto, especially after watching Peter Pan Goes Wrong. It was very entertaining to watch this interpretation of Peter Pan and see the skills of the actors.

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  6. Basamat Hamdan Avatar
    Basamat Hamdan

    What can you take away to help with your performative skills from the Panto tradition? Would you want to go to a Panto? Do you have questions about it?

    From the Panto tradition, I can take away to make my performance as engaging with the audience as possible. I’ve never heard of a Panto before, but learning that this is a key aspect of them is really interesting! I think more performances and plays can learn from this, as an engaged audience is much more likely to be satisfied and have a great time than one that is just supposed to sit and watch. I also find it important that there is a good side and a bad side. As with most lengthy or detailed plots, there is usually a protagonist and an antagonist. I especially find it interesting that these are made clear to the audience via their position on the stage; those on the right are bad, and those on the left are good. I personally would’ve expected the right to be good, so I wonder if there is a reason why it is set up this way? Another question I had was, is there a reason that both the hero and heroine are played by women? Was this always the case, or is this a recent development?

    While Pantos seem interesting, I’m not much of a theater-type of person, so I don’t think I’d ever watch one. However, I am always open to learning more about different performance styles!

    Reply
  7. Hasiena Madramootoo Avatar
    Hasiena Madramootoo

    Something that I took away from the Panto tradition was that the audience get involved. I would like to go to a panto one day to experience it.

    Reply
  8. Ekaterini Fasarakis Avatar
    Ekaterini Fasarakis

    From watching all these videos about panto, I can take away audience engagement and comedy skills to entertain the audience. This is my first time hearing about Panto and I find it very entertaining. I would love to go to a Panto after watching the Peter Pan panto above. I think it provides comedy skills and engages the audience with a good laugh. The audience seemed to be entertained and the actors were very engaging and provided great acting skills.

    Reply
  9. Aya Ibrahim Avatar
    Aya Ibrahim

    I took away that my performative skills can definitely be more engaging and not so stiff. I often can feel like I have to rehearse something a million times over if I have to present it, so I would definitely want to go to a Panto to see what a more relaxed and informal take would look like as the viewers looked to be enjoying themselves. My questions would be to know what other classics have been perfomed in this format and what training looks like to take older tales and develop them in a more modern medium/adaptation. It really does remind me of a sitcom and the sound effects from the audience remind me of some of my favorite childhood shows like iCarly or Drake and Josh, which just goes to show how adaptations can help stories continue to be enjoyed from generation to generation

    Reply
  10. Milen Bekis Avatar
    Milen Bekis

    I would not like to go to the Panto. Panto looks like a very crazy and overstimulating show. I would not like to get involved in the show and boo or cheer at the characters. I realize that a Panto is just an over exaggeration of a normal sow.

    Reply
  11. Juliana Moreno Duran Avatar
    Juliana Moreno Duran

    I think one could learn skills such as engaging with the audience directly, to interact with spectators. For example, actors in Panto frequently solicit responses from the audience, like shouting back phrases or participating in call-and-response songs, which can teach timing and adaptability in performance. Additionally, Panto’s use of slapstick comedy and exaggerated characters, such as the Dame played by a man in drag, helps performers learn the art of physical comedy and character exaggeration. I am personally a huge fan of stand-up comedy shows, and one of my favorite things is when the performer picks on somebody from the audience to ask him questions to then joke about the answers and the situation in general. on the other hand, I am not a huge fan of when you can hear the audience laugh as a background effect. for example, I have never been able to like the show “Friends” because of that reason. I almost feel obligated to laugh at certain things when in reality I did not find it exactly funny.

    Reply
  12. Hanan Almoflihi Avatar
    Hanan Almoflihi

    Audience engagement is very important in panto. I would not like to go to one because as an audience member I would just like to sit back and feel as though I am in a different world rather than being interactive. I could use these techniques in my teaching when I become an educator however.

    Reply
  13. Renee Montperous Avatar
    Renee Montperous

    I learned to think fast and react to unexpected circumstances whether it’s an audience heckler, a technical issue, or a missed cue from the Panto tradition. Improvisation training gives actors the skills they need to adapt quickly, stay in character, and maintain the flow of the performance under pressure.

    Reply
  14. Quesia Cruz Avatar
    Quesia Cruz

    I really like that the Panto tradition is something the UK took on and embraced right, I can learn that performance and getting it to it is important we have to add emotion, I would love to go to a panto because the fact that it is engaging with the audience makes me very intrigued and interested in going to one. Interesting that it came to them during the Renaissance as Comedia de’ll rate and in Spanish comedia can be a soap opera I wonder if that is why it was called like that.

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  15. Dionisia Payamps Avatar
    Dionisia Payamps

    I think taking part in Pantomime can really improve performance skills. It teaches to talk to the audience directly and be quick on my feet, which is important for live shows. Pantomimes also helps to get better at physical comedy and timing, like making funny faces or doing silly actions at just the right moment.

    Reply
  16. vanessa alamo Avatar
    vanessa alamo

    It teaches you to keep going no matter what happens, technical difficulties, or anything you keep the show going. How to make eye contact, keep your audience locked in and feeling like they are part of the show. I would love to experience a panto show

    Reply
  17. Martina Arriola Avatar
    Martina Arriola

    Performers need to be 100% committed to their performance to boost their performative skills. They should express the story through body language and vocal enthusiasm. Adding props can make it more interesting, especially when it comes to the theatrics of Panto. Also, while reading aloud, it’s important to get students involved by asking questions and reacting to what’s happening in the story.

    Reply
  18. Marissa Acosta Avatar
    Marissa Acosta

    Panto encompasses British traditions and views on family & celebrations. In terms of performance skills, exhibiting confidence and engagement with the audience are important factors to take away from this. It seems like a huge effort, I’d be interested in watching a panto show one day.

    Reply

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