Have the Antipodeans continued the Pantomime tradition?
In two episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, New Zealander Michael Hurst abandoned the role of Iolaus, Hercules’ sidekick, to play “The Widow Twanky.”
In the first one, Hercules partnered with a young woman who wanted to shatter the conventions of dancing at the Panathenia Ballroom Dance Competition. Widow Twanky helped them prevail.
Yes, it was very silly.
When I was a youngster in Oakville, every Christmas/New Years my parents would take my sister and me to a pantomine in Hamilton, and a ballet (usually the Nutcracker) in Toronto. It was a blast, and certainly made the festive season quite exciting for my sister and me. We loved the shows! Dick Whittington was my favourite of the pantomime shows – it was both fun and scary.
My school (Appleby College, based on the English model) put on pantomime productions on occasion.
(BTW, last Christmas one of the court clerks here in TBay told me that she used to dance in with the National Ballet in the Nutcracker back in those days, so the odds are that saw her on stage!)
I don’t know how big pantomime is in the west (I’m in Thunder Bay, Ontario). Thunder Bay (which may not be west, but certainly isn’t east) brings in a pantomime every year or so.
The Wiki entry for pantomime indicates that there is pantomime on the west coast as well as in the east, and that there have been pantomimes travel across the west, including your fine city last year: Pantomime - Wikipedia
Thought I’d update this thread: we’re taking the PiperCub to a panto tomorrow in Moose Jaw! It’s Aladdin, and we’ve heard from a friend that it’s very good.
So, we went, we had a very good time. The only difference from the descriptions in this thread was that the role of Aladdin was played by a male, not a cross-dressing female. He looked sort of like Doogie Howser.
Good time was had by all. Some indication that the same group may put on “Jack and the Beanstalk” next year.
OMG, I remember the latter episode, and I never twigged that the dance instructor was played by “Iolaus”
We used to. My grandmother took me every year when I was little (late '50s/early '60s)
I haven’t seen mention of panto in Sydney for many a long year.
Oh, boys and girls, I wish you’d warned me.
It may be a zombie, but this thread introduced me to Panto and Julian Clary so all is well.
I knew I recognized “Sally” from somewhere, but I never would have figured it out if I didn’t look it up.
FWIW…
previous thread: Sex education - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board
script for Monty Python sketch featuring some panto Puss-in-Boots: Monty Python: Puss in Boots
Video of ITV’s panto “Dick Whittigton”: YouTube
@ NorthernPiper: Gald to hear the Piper family enjoyed the panto–after almost 6 years of waiting! 
The BBC series Jam and Jerusalem has a great Christmas episode from their first season that features the town preparing and performing the holiday panto of Cinderella.
The series is available thru Netflix DVDs, but not streaming. In the US, it goes by the name of *Clatterford, * probably because Americans don’t know aboutf the British Women’s Institute. (Community based volunteer organizations for women, they have the stereotype of being all about teaching how to make jam and singing the hymn “Jerusalem”.)
I’ve watched them all and think it is a wonderful show. Jennifer Saunders is one of the writers and is a regular character along with Joanna Lumley and Dawn French. French’s audition for the role of fairy godmother is this particular episode is hilarious.
Especially since the PiperCub hadn’t even arrived on the scene when I started this thread!
Probably also worth mentioning that Panto is incredibly lucrative for all involved, and probably keeps a lot of theatres from going bust. D-listed celebrities can make thousands of pounds per performance. We’ve even seen a few Americans coming over in the last few years to cash in. David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson both reportedly earned £125,000 for doing pantos in recent years
Oh, no, there isn’t!