In the weeks running up to Christmas, pantomimes take centre stage in theatres across the country.
For many children, their first theatre-experience is seeing the pantomime at Christmas.
"I think panto is a really important thing for kids in particular," said actor Robert Downes.
"A panto was the first thing that I ever saw and now I work full-time in the theatre.
"It's a really important thing to be able to pass to the next generation.
"It's full of spectacle and fun and it's a complete escape from normal life."
Mr Downes is playing Dame Dottie in Tickles, Beauty and the Beast running in the Civic Theatre in Tallaght Dublin until 4 January.
Comic and Dame
A 'dame' character is present in nearly every panto along with a comic hero. Usually, the two speak to the audience, particularly the children, throughout the performance.
"A dame is a man who dresses up as a particular kind of Dublin lady to celebrate that kind of more street seller, working class woman who has loads of things and has to keep it all together," Mr Downes said.
Tallaght native Kevin Keeley plays comic-hero Tickles every year at the Civic Theatre panto.
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"From January to December I get stopped and asked if I'm Tickles - all year round," Mr Keeley said.
"So, he's certainly a household name now."
Mr Keeley has been performing in pantos since he was 11 years old.
As the comic hero of the panto, his job is to keep the audience engaged off-stage and be the best friend of the princess on-stage.
"Because my role wouldn't be very much part of the main story, I have to fill the gaps by being the funny part, I kind of break it up so the love story is funny," Mr Keeley explained.
"A lot of the time, I would open the show. So that's the big challenge and the big nerves kick in for that because it needs to be wow!"
Elaine Gallagher, assistant director of Tickles, Beauty and the Beast said it was really gratifying to see the audience in Tallaght return to the Civic Theatre every year to see their favourite fairytales retold and starring Tickles and Dame Dottie.
"We have over the years, been building in Tallaght and it's lovely to see the audiences coming back repeatedly every year," she said.
"The Civic Theatre Panto has become a tradition for some people".
The tradition of pantomimes
A musical-comedy performed live on stage and designed to entertain the entire family is a tall order, however the tradition of pantomime dates back centuries and families return every year.
"That there's not a sense of notions or elitism is a big part of the success of panto," said Dr Aoife Granville, lecturer in folklore at University College Cork.
"Pantomime is supposed to be make-believe or a little bit exaggerated."
"It has participation between the audience and those on stage at certain times, particularly certain characters and that's something that goes back centuries," Dr Granville explained.
"There has to be hundreds of them happening this season," she added.
Although pantomimes do not mention Christmas, it has become traditional for families in Ireland and the UK to go to the panto at Christmas time.
"Visits to the panto have become an important part of the Christmas build up and even after Christmas," Dr Granville said.
"The combination of fun being involved, the element of fairytales and a little bit of exaggerated stories or make-believe and these fantastic costumes suits, I think, the Christmas season.
"I think for many people, their visit to the panto can be tied in with a shopping trip."
Pantos are seen as a phenomenon of the British Isles, Dr Granville said they have similarities with carnivals in countries like Switzerland and Italy.
All include elements of satirical drama, and a mix of jokes appropriate for child and adult audiences.
Local jokes also form an element of pantos.
Where Dr Granville lives in Dingle, Kerry, last year's local theatre group brough the local undertaker on stage.
"It had everyone in stiches," she said, "I'm sure it meant nothing to people from outside the area."
Theatre industry depends on panto
Laurence Foster has been a professional actor in Ireland for more than 60 years, including roles in pantomime.
"I remember I saw my first pantomime when I was about 5 or 6 and I just loved the blaze of light when the curtain went up and the crazy larger than life characters," he said.
"It encouraged me then to go and see more serious theatre when I got older.
"All ages, from 6 to 80, enjoy a pantomime."
Work in theatre can be uncertain, but Mr Foster said, once someone was established in the pantomime, it is a great way to get at least a few weeks guaranteed work every year.
"Economically, it's very good to the theatre," he said.
"You know you're going to get a very good audience."
For Mr Downes, this is his fourth year playing Dame Dottie at the Civic Theatre.
"Every Christmas I work two shows a day, seven days a week, and it's great," he said.
"I always know I will be performing at some point in the year, which is always kind of a nice way to do things.
"Being freelance in those kinds of jobs, it's always good to have something that's reliable and definite."
As well as casting the same characters for comic and dame in pantomimes each year, many pantos have begun to cast celebrities in order to attract their audiences.
For this panto season, Twink is returning to the National Stadium in Dublin and Mrs Brown's Boy actor Danny O'Carroll is starring in Jack in the Beanstalk at the SETU Arena in Waterford.
Irish county-music singer, Cliona Hagan is in rehearsals for her first ever panto. She is playing the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at University Concert Hall Limerick.
"It's just been incredible, the whole experience so far," Ms Hagan told RTÉ's This Week.
"I've got all the feels, excitement, nerves.
"I just can't wait to see all the children's faces.
"I'm just loving every bit of it. I really am. There's something very magical here."
