Pantos not the same

I have been in England for the past month and we have managed to compress a huge amount of sight seeing in that time. We still managed to get out and see a panto however. These things are absolutely loved by the Brits and they are both a joy to watch and be a part of. Why is then that we see so little of it back in Oz?

These things are prime viewing and every little villiage to London Theatre Central will put on Pantos in their hundreds, yet only a few brave local theatre groups (around Perth at least) will do any. It is sad in just that fact.

It goes beyond that however. The Pantos here are different to any I have partaken in in Perth. They have a different structure. There is so much more audience participation than what I have experienced. The shows here have so much more to offer, and they are such massive draw cards for both audiences and actors.

Pantos have a slight stigma in Oz and most actors display a certain reluctance at participating. In the UK, if you haven't done a panto, you haven't starting acting yet.

Such a competely different mind set. Such a wonderful use of a entertainment genre. If I get the chance, I would like to bring English Pantos back home to Perth

Jeff - In the UK - I would like to add more but am running out of time ;-) Library Internet Access...