Panto time again!!

Well it must be Christmas?
pantoÂ’s are back - while we seem to follow most panto traditions of the Principal boy being a girl & the dame a man - the poor old Fairy seems to be always missing out on some of traditions or superstitions that the Fairy always enters from the Right (Stage Right) and the Demon from the Left (Stage Left). One of the many reasons was that in older theatres the stage trap through which the Demon rose was usually on stage left thus it become known as the 'Sinister' side and Right as the 'Good. The superstition of throwing salt in the devils face is over the left shoulder. ItÂ’s supposed to be when your left palm itches it means poverty was about to befall you & the right for money or riches. The left ear itching indicates that someone is speaking ill of you and the opposite for the right. In the Da Vinci portrait of 'The Last Supper' it is Judas Iscariot who is seated to the left of Jesus. This probably where the tradition came from.
Traditionally, when speaking, the Fairy would swap her wand from her right hand to her left, to protect her heart from the Demon King & back to the right for making good spells
Also the last lines said in the finale, normally in rhyming couplets would never be spoken in rehearsal, except for the first time on the opening night. Why I’m sure of but it would make for an interesting finale for the performers who forget to speak them and the SM in awaiting the cue line? There are other traditions & interesting order of ‘walk downs’ for the Grande finale - but this is probably enough for now.

Chookas
gaafa