Personally I loved it! However I had my first professional pantomine season at The Old Vic in Aladdin working alongside Ian Mckellen, Maureen Lipman, Sam Kelly, Roger Allam and the like... and they all made it a fantastic experiance for myself and the rest of the cast.
But I don't think that it's for everyone and can be a real test of your patience and professionalism...
xxx
Hi Rebecca,
Panto's!Oh this got me into soo many arguments with my ex-girlfriend.
Her argument and a very valid one too was that how often as an actor do you get to incorporate three of your skills all in one performance ie,Singing,Dancing and Acting.This of course depends on your role.I had to admit after seeing several of her shows including playing Cinders to Julian Clary's Buttons that you are certainly stretched in all of the previously mentioned disciplines and you have got to be on the money every show as the audience,often children of course,need to be given the whole nine yards or you will lose thier interest.
The arguments stemmed from her seeing me as an acting snob by not wishing to do pantomime having had a classical training at the Old Vic.I just think it is a personal choice.It is just not a form of theatre that floats my boat.Having said that,the great Patrick Stewart (Captain Luc Piccard of the Starship Enterprise no less) in a lecture at our school once said that as an actor you can work or not work.He said that he would rather work than not and every performance brings some form of experience be it good or bad.You can only see more clearly what acting you would like to do when you can delete the forms you don't like by having experienced them and realising it is not for you.
So expect to see me soon as the arse-end of horse at a theatre near you.
Regards.
I just don't get it. Why on earth is panto frowned upon so much? Isn't it better to be on stage gaining valuable experience, not to mention learning how far your patience will stretch, than working in say, an office or a bar??
I've done panto and yes, it's extremely hard work. But what is most noticeable is that you rarely get an actor that has done panto that isn't damned grateful for the job in the first place. It's also great fun and particularly rewarding when you see hundreds of happy kids cheering you on. Try it, you never know.
Panto is a skill and to sustain that sort of energy is a mark of professionalism... too many actors are rprecious about what they do but ultimatley there is a big divi9de between those who are working and HAVE a career as opposed to those who do not and are simply saying they would never do it.
If its paid work and in a thetare...go for it! A good actor can do panto, classical and film, and still be just as subtle when needs be.....its about adapting your skills for each job....
I ahve done loads of TIE but while I want to stop that sort of work now, I can honestly say that its better to be working than not to be.... unless you feel that any mopre of a certian medium will establish you as something you are not...but one panto every year is NOT going to do that.
I Always thought panto was awful. I can't stand watching them, not even when I was a kid. Then I was in one....SO much fun.
I'd much rather be doing a panto than stuck being a receptionist over Christmas. Any offers? :)
Its interesting, I used to be so snobby about it but
1) I love kids
2) they seem to love me for some strange reason!
3) The thought of sitting at this compuetr over christmas seems a bit crap.
When I was very young I did enjoy it and I think listening to kids really laughing out loud would be better than hearing a printer churning out endless reports.
I find it depends entirely, like so many others, on the job itself.
The only panto experience I have is that of a low budget touring pantomime, with 4 actors to a team performing to various schools and clubs around certain areas of the country. Now I know this sounds awful (and for some, it just plainly is), but to be able to keep young children's attention, whose attention is very short a lot of the time) and to be able to entertain them for a full show is one of the best memories I have had in my career thus far.
A lot of people that have done this job were put off ever doing it again, but I for the most part enjoyed it very much and definitely do panto again. And while I realise it's not for everyone, it's not as bad as people think!
I had the most fun ever - I played Prince Charming opposite my best mates Cinderella and one night we corpsed on stage and no one said a line for about 5 minutes - the audience were in bits and I had to run off the stage to wee then come back on and pretend as though it had never happened! The kids were in fits for the rest of the show if it looked remotely like I was going to laugh again!
It's not for everyone, but you're on stage, getting paid to behave like a bit of a numpty!
Have never been so tired in my life once it was over though!
I had the best time when I did panto- and lost weight it is exhausting!!! Desperately want some this year-so if anyone knows of anything casting?
XX
Anything is better than office work
Alan - sadly the dame seems to be a lost art these days! The company I worked, and others that tour extensively in schools, do not cast men as the dame. In these days we live in now it seems the idea of a man dressed as a woman and performing to children is deemed inappropriate!
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