# British Dopers: Tell Me More About Christmas Pantos **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-tell-me-more-about-christmas-pantos/992836 "2023-11-08T16:53:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 2
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-tell-me-more-about-christmas-pantos/992836/2 "2023-11-08T17:43:33Z")
Here’s a trailer I found for a panto at one of our local theaters: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wbhlOeSTNGM/maxresdefault.jpg "Sleeping Beauty: The Pantomime Trailer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbhlOeSTNGM) Source: [Sleeping Beauty: The Pantomime - Worthing Theatres and Museum](https://wtm.uk/events/sleeping-beauty-the-pantomime/) It looks like tickets range from £10 to £26 depending on seat, with only a very small reduction for children (the principle audience of course.) You’ll see that the dame is indeed played by a man; but the tradition of the male lead being played by a woman seems to have pretty much died out round these parts. They’re a Xmas staple, pretty much guaranteed to sell out, and pretty much every theater puts them on - it’s what they rely on for revenue to keep them profitable. So far as I’m aware it’s just a group of actors brought together for the show rather than a troupe. Two or even three shows a day is the norm. There are certain - uh, tropes that always occur - children shouting back _Oh No She Isn’t_ (or similar) at the provoking villain; or _Look Behind You_ when the hero is in imminent danger. That sort of audience interplay. Anything else about Christmas pantos you’d like to ask me? j --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-tell-me-more-about-christmas-pantos/992836)._