Karl Broderick is the writer and co-producer of the Stadium Panto: Cinderella with Sammy and Buffy at the National Stadium, Dublin, which this year sees the return of a Irish panto legend - Twink - to the stage, albeit in virtual form. Below, Karl shares his formula for panto success...
This is my 27th year in a row writing and producing panto. So, how do I go about it?
"Doesn't the story of Cinderella already exist?", is one question I get asked a lot. Well, yes... and no, is the answer. I could tell you the story of Cinderella in 20 seconds; now all I have to do is put two hours' worth of words into the characters' mouths. I get to build a magical kingdom and bring a fairytale to life. I have to make the characters funny, sad, vulnerable, cheeky, hilarious, even scary, all the while keeping the audience invested and having a brilliant time. No pressure...
So, one of the most important decisions in writing a panto is the tone. There could be my panto in The National Stadium, and two other pantos nearby, and the tone is what will set them apart. Some will take a funny, gag-laden route where the story is hardly important. To me, the story and the characters are everything and integrating them with the comedy and the music is key. It all has to fit together. I don’t want the characters to be liked, loved, hated and booed, I want them to be really liked, loved, hated and booed! How can we hate the Wicked Stepmother if she’s not wicked enough?. How can we root for Cinderella if her life doesn’t seem all that bad? The audience has to be invested. I view it from the standpoint of that child in the audience who truly believes that is the real Cinderella on that stage. If you don’t set the right tone, whats the point? I want the audience to go through the journey with us.
I grew up watching Oz, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Star Wars and Willy Wonka, and these movies not only thrilled me, they scared me too (and we all love to be scared - in a controlled environment). The idea of your hero in real danger, and then hoping that good might win out over evil, is why I was invested. The atmosphere, the visuals, the music, the comedy... it all helped create a magical world, and that’s what I aim to do in panto, a world where the audience is very important.
I want my audience to belly laugh, care, dance in the aisles and invest in the story, cheer the good guys and boo the bad guys.
Panto is unique, in terms of theatre, because we break the 4th wall. That means the audience is practically an extra character. The characters interact with the live audience, who can warn our hero of impending doom if something scary is behind them; they can tell them which way not to go and who not to trust. They can actually move the plot along with infomation only they have... and our hero needs! Panto is the original interactive entertainment. "Is there another girl in the house who should try on the glass slipper, boys and girls?". "Yes, Cinderella", screams the audience; some of whom are having an apoplexy, screaming out to help their hero - who by now has become their friend.
Modern day references and politics have their place in panto, but I try to keep it subtle and integral to the plot. So, KPop Demon Hunters and Labubus will have a presence, but not a jarring one. Kids love hearing something mentioned on stage that is personal to them.
I want my audience to belly laugh, care, dance in the aisles and invest in the story, cheer the good guys and boo the bad guys. The idea that bullies are eejits is a message that is very powerful. "Who would want to be a bully? It's so uncool", is a sentiment that I love.
For me panto isn't seasonal. I never make references to Christmas; partly because by St. Stephen's Day, Christmas is the furthest away it can be. So, for me, its about staging a magical, spectacular show with great characters brought to life by talented performers, and taking the audience on a magical, hilarious and exciting journey. When a child leaps out of their seat screaming to warn Cinderella about her Stepmother, "She's behind you", it's the best feeling ever.
The musical numbers are a wonderful part of panto; modern hits and popular favourites help to move the plot along - it's important to choose the right songs. Through a well chosen, or newly written song, you can take Cinderella from wimp to goddess in what might have otherwise required 10 pages of dialogue.
The pace of panto has to be snappy and fast with the comedy enhancing the situations; not stopping the action. I don’t want to entertain parents with political jokes that leave the kids behind. And vice versa. I want to entertain kids and adults at the same time. Panto is one genre where the kids are invested, the mams and dads are laughing their heads off and the grandparents have just as much fun. I’ve often had women say, "I’m coming back again, without the kids!" I love that.
I have the most wonderful Musical Director, Ross O'Connor, who underscores the whole panto like a movie. It’s so atmospheric; the funny moments, the sad moments, the uplifting moments; you can hear a pin drop... the atmosphere is electric. I find myself holding my breath at some suspenseful scenes.
Of course I can’t not mention two characters I invented over twenty years ago, Sammy Sausages and Buffy (AKA the excellent Alan Hughes and Rob Murphy.) I weave these two into every panto, and the audiences just adore them.
Panto is often a person's first experience of a live show and they may become prolific theatre patrons or even performers as a direct result. So, the fact that panto is still not recognised as an art form (circus is, for example) is a pantomime in itself. Can we get that changed?
So, what is panto to me? It's a magical, live, interactive show with hilarious comedy, spectacular music and its heart in the right place. Its something that lives on, long past the bus ride home... Oh yes it does!!!
The Stadium Panto: Cinderella with Sammy and Buffy is at the National Stadium Dublin, from 9th Dec – 4th Jan 2026 - find out more here
*Oh yes he did!
