Routledge Companion to Audiences and the Performing Arts

Abstract

Pantomime is a uniquely British artform, with deep European influences and worldwide roots in folk law and fairy tale. Far from being passive, the audience in a contemporary pantomime can be seen as the final character in the theatrical event. This short argues that pantomime requires the audience and performers to enter into an inter-dependent relationship, including completing the routines (such as the ‘ghost gags’), warning characters of a threat (the infamous ‘it’s behind you’) and often bringing about the story’s denouement. Drawing on practitioner interviews and personal reflections, the short also acknowledges Marvin Carlson’s notion of ‘ghosting’ in relation to an audience’s implicit expectation of their role in the pantomime experience.

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