Pantomime Unit Worksheet - History and Characters

Where does Pantomime come from? Pantomime developed out of the clown performances of the Italian Commedia dellarte. The 19th century was a very popular time for the English Pantomime. In the 18th century these Italian style performances were plays with music and dancing featuring the story of arle!uin and Colum"ine. They were "rought to the English stage and called arle!uinades. The performances "egan with a fairy story# then a magical character transformed the actors into their roles for the arle!uinade# which was the main attraction. The arle!uinade was usually satirical# meaning that it moc$ed pu"lic figures and political issues. It featured clowning and slapstic$ as in the Commedia dellarte. %oon the fairy stories and the comedy and clowning "ecame more important. %o Pantomime was "orn as an English tradition# it ta$es its stories from continental fairy tales# its characters from Italian comedy# mi&es them with tric$s and local events in local places# finally it uses the resources of opera# "allet# music hall and musical comedy. 'll these elements moulded together have developed into something that no one "ut the English understand(

Whats special about the Design? Pantomime actors wear e&travagant costumes# the sets are often lavish# ela"orate and colourful. )esigned to appeal to children. *ne character is often an animal. These animals are actors in costume and sometimes even real animals are used. %pecial effects called transformation scenes are a feature of Pantomimes. In Cinderella# for e&ample# the scene changes from a $itchen to the Princes "allroom as if "y magic. This is done with clever lighting effects and special scenery. %tage "ac$cloths or "ac$drops can "e +flown in and out ,lifted up into a fly tower-. %tage flats are attached to a "ase with wheels on it ,called +truc$s- and moved onto the stage. *r sometimes the stage flats are hinged and swung round to show a different scene. Where did the Pantomime Characters come from? %imilar characters appear in different pantomimes and are called +stoc$ characters. These stoc$ characters were not only the influence of Italian Commedia "ut also from .ictorian /usic all where the most popular acts were played in +drag. In Pantomime there is always a comic female figure played "y a man who is called a )ame. %he is a "ossy and e&aggerated character who tal$s very loudly and wears ama0ing clothes. 'lso you have the principal "oy# the hero# who is played "y a "eautiful girl who wears stoc$ings and high heels. *ther stoc$ characters are the principal girl# the heroine# originally she was Colum"ine from the arle!uinade. 1sually there is a pantomime animal such as the cat in )ic$ 2hittington. The villain is often either a wic$ed stepmother or an evil 3aron. %ometimes there is more than one villain# as in Cinderella where there are 4 ugly sisters. The good fairy creates magic and ma$es sure that the evil is defeated.

5inally you have the slapstic$ comedy characters from Commedia they were called the +clowns. In Pantomime these are the 2ishee 2ashee character in 'laddin# or characters with names that define their role such as# /uggy# Thuggy and 2ally. Their role is to get everything they do wrong# to "e $noc$ed a"out# fall over# get chased and ma$e the audience laugh at their antics.

Where did the stories come from? The story lines were ta$en from fairy stories# classical themes# nursery rhymes and traditional English tales. The themes were always# good triumphs over evil. It is always a love story li$e the arle!uinade 6 two young lovers $ept apart "y the father or guardian. They have to outwit the villains in order to gain their fortune and have a happy ending. This framewor$ provides the opportunity for various tric$s to "e played on the servants ,the clowns- thus creating comic situations of confusion# chases# acro"atics and magical tric$s. 7o"inson Crusoe# 3a"es in the 2ood# Cinderella# 'laddin# /other 8oose# 7o"in ood# umpty )umpty# and 9ac$ and the 3eanstal$ are a few of the most popular titles in the 19th century.

Who

ere the audiences for Pantomime?

In .ictorian upper class homes the children often put on the pantomime to entertain the adults at Christmas. In fact the :ueen wrote and performed a Pantomime at 2indsor for the family when she was only 1;( Children are the most important people in todays pantomime audiences. 3ut children are ta$en to the Pantomime "y parents and grandparents. The actors want to entertain everyone# so they usually tell <o$es a"out well $nown people and events in the news as well as local items of interest. These are devices that appeal to adults as well. 'ctors li$e playing in Pantomime "ecause they $now that it "rings many people to the Theatre who might not usually go. 5or children a Pantomime is often their first e&perience of the theatre and Pantomimes en<oy involving the audience in their performances. 'udience participation is an essential ingredient of this style and this convention often involves children shouting to a character on stage 6 + es "ehind you( or +*h no you wont( Its fun and they feel they are contri"uting to what is happening on stage. *ften there is an audience song where children are as$ed up on stage to ta$e part with the characters. These songs are silly and simple so children can easily repeat the words and actions used.

!odern !ime In 1811# a 3ohemian acro"atic family were playing in Paris. The son of the family# 9ean 8aspard 3atiste )e"urau# was engaged to perform at the 5unam"ules on the 3oulevard du Temple. e remained at this Theatre# until his death# and during this time he converted the crude slapstic$ form of /ime# to the art form that it is $nown as today. /ime received new momentum after the 5irst 2orld 2ar from the great 9ac!ues Copeau# who taught Charles )ullin at the .ieu&6Colum"ier school. Etienne )ecrou&# who had "een another pupil# too$ these "eginnings a stage further# and together with his own pupil 9ean6=ouis 3arrault# developed the first elements of modern mime. 'fter the %econd 2orld 2ar# /arcel /arceau emerged# who was a pupil of )ecrou& at the )ullin school. e created his own special character# $nown as >3ip># who is a familiar sight# with his top hat with the flower stic$ing out# and his short <ac$et. 3ip was a down trodden character# who could sometimes win# "ut would always end up at the "ottom of the ladder. Influenced "y the silent film stars li$e Chaplin# and ?eaton# /arceau was the architect of a totally new style and tradition# the true creator and master of modern mime as we understand it today. 3asically# there are two ma<or types of mime@ literal and a"stract or a com"ination of "oth. These types are evident in all the schools of mime. =iteral mime is primarily used for comedy and story theatre. =iteral mime generally tells a story with a conflict through the use of a main character. The actions and visual design clearly tell the viewers the story which is usually humorous. '"stract mime is used to generate feelings# thoughts and images from a serious topic or issue. Aormally there is no plot or central character. It is considered a more intuitive e&perience or image rather than literal actions.

Worksheet "uestions - History and Characters Using all the pre#ious information ans er the follo ing $uestions in sentences% 1. 2here did Pantomime style come fromB 2hat was it called "eforeB 4. 2hat were the main features of the style "efore PantomimeB C. 2here did the Pantomime stories and characters come fromB ;. 's well as these stories and characters what does it +mi& together to ma$e English PantomimeB D. 2hats special a"out the costumes and setsB E. 2hat is a transformation sceneB F. Aame the C ways of changing scenery in a transformation scene. 8. 2hat 4 influences created the stoc$ characters in PantomimeB 9. Aame 4 +stoc$ charactersB 1G. 11. 14. 1C. 1;. 1D. 1E. 1F. 2hat are the story lines ta$en fromB 2hat are the themes of PantomimeB In .ictorian times who put on pantomimes in upper class homesB 2hat did the :ueen doB 2hat do actors do to appeal to the adults watching pantomimesB 2hat is an essential ingredient of Pantomime styleB 2ho is the master of modern /imeB 2hat are the two ma<or types of /imeB 2hy are they differentB