The Christmas pantomime is a UK tradition, but it is also something of an odd one. Why exactly are comedy plays featuring men dressed as women part of our standard festive fare? Read on to find out.
Origins in Italy
Pantomime at Christmas is a UK thing, but its origins are Italian. They lie in something called ‘commedia dell’arte’, which was a kind of improvised comic street theatre. It contained standard characters like Columbine and Harlequin and the performers took it beyond Italy to the rest of Europe.
By the 1700s, it had reached France, where the word ‘pantomime’ was coined. This was taken from the Greek word ‘pantomimos’, which means ‘imitator of all’. During the same period, the street theatre also arrived in the UK.
Britain took over
When it was brought to this country, we adapted it to our own preferences. Key to that process was a theatre performer and manager called John Rich. He developed a mostly silent show based around the Harlequin character. Following on from him, Joseph Grimaldi came up with the idea of adding more humour to the shows.
However, as with so many of our traditions, it was the Victorians who made the pantomime a real festive staple. They came up with the modern version based on fairy tales and the addition of music hall gags, songs and catchphrases (such as “he’s behind you”). In their hands, the pantomime became as much a part of the season as Christmas lights and turkey dinners.
So now you know the story behind the traditional British Christmas panto.
