The Pantomime
Today, Múinteoir John taught us all about Pantomime, including:
- Its origins in Italy in the 16th century
- The different characters, including Harlequin and Pierrot the clown (see them below)
- How pantomime developed over the centuries, especially in England Modern day pantomime - very much associated at Christmas and a very lavish and dramatic affair!
One of the main sources of comedy in pantomime is the exaggerated use of body language.
It plays a vital role in Panto and is used throughout by lots of the characters throughout the show, so that even the person in the very back seat of the theatre knows what is going on!
Body language
Stand in front of a mirror and act out the following scenarios - but not using words, just over-the-top body language!
Or, if someone else is with you, take turns acting out the different scenarios...
- Act like another character has just walked into the room who you absolutely despise Pretend to fall over - dramatically of course!
- Act like you've just come up with the perfect revenge plan against your enemy
- Act as though you’ve just seen the scariest thing you’ve ever seen in your life!
- Pretend as though you’ve just stepped on a nail Pretend as if you’ve just realised, for the first time, how absolutely beautiful you are.
Download the full lesson and more fun activities here!
Design a Panto mask!
Múinteoir John spoke about sometimes in Panto, characters wear colourful masks, sometimes for comedic effect, but sometimes to deceive the other characters about their true identity!
Design a panto mask for one of the follow famous fairy tale and pantomime characters:
- The evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
- The Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk Cinderella at the ball Puss in Boots Hansel or Gretal
- The Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood
- The Little Mermaid Think about the characteristics of the character — are they kind, mean, full of love, silly?
Remember — a good panto mask should be colourful and dramatic! D
Take a seat!
While we can't actually go to watch a live pantomime in a theatre at the moment, here is a great short panto for you to watch called Hack to the Future.
Check out this video on YouTube Kids: CLICK HERE
What fairy tale do you think this panto is loosely based on? What panto elements do you notice? Tick them off as you see them on this checklist….
