You’ve got an enthusiastic cast, an organised director and a brilliant supporting crew who build the sets, make the costumes, volunteer front of house, but your pantomime is lacking that professional sparkle that you’d like in order to keep audiences coming back year after year.
I’ve thought about some simple tips to help. Here are my 5 top tips to make your Pantomime really shine above the rest.
1. Casting
The core ingredient to any show is the casting. For pantomime, I’ve found it’s best to cast people based on their strengths rather than challenging them outside their comfort zone. It’s really important cast are able to shine on stage and be themselves through the construct of the story and the character. If someone is funny in real life, chances are they will be on stage too.
Comedy is difficult to teach. So cast your natural comics as pantomime dame and comic, and your actors with more of an emotional punch in the other roles.
2. Pace
Keeping a fast pace is key to delivering engaging dialogue and sparkling comedy. It is not the speed with which words are spoken but rather the length of the gaps between words and lines (cues or pick ups) that matters.
When two characters are picking up their cues quickly energy really builds and it’s this sort of energy that makes emotional scenes compelling and comic scenes hilarious. Watch any of the great comedy duos in full swing and you’ll notice their timing is impeccable.
BONUS TIP: To help actors pick up cues quickly organise a regular speed-run of all the lines in the show. Stand in a circle with your cast and run only the spoken dialogue in the show very quickly. The fast they can recite this, the more the pace will naturally pick up on stage.
3. Magic
Children want magic, not just when the fairy enters and exits but all the way through. They want to be swept away to a world where they can be whatever they want to be and then can let their imaginations run wild. If you can create that world through your cast and production then children will always love it.
Old-school theatrical magic is often the best solution here. Simple but effective is a solid rule. A kitchen cabinet that folds out to reveal Cinderella‘s pumpkin carriage, a practical rock that moves aside when Aladdin enters the cave, a Fairy who appears behind a puff of smoke. These sorts of effects engage adults and children in the magic of the production.
4. Music and Sound Effects
A little can go a long way when incorporating music into your production. On entrances and exits a short play on/play off lifts the energy of the show. Energy dips most when there is silence on stage, so ensure any scene changes or transformations are underscored.
Sound effects (SFX) can also enhance a production. From joke stings to slapstick comedy thwacks, SFX can help punch a punchline and serve as an audio reminder to the audience of the comedy pain inflicted on a character, or the splat of a particularly moist slosh scene.
You don’t need a live band to create the sound, free SFX can be sourced online and lots of easily available software like Qlab is available to easily run a sound cue list.
5. Glitter
What panto is complete without glitter? This supremely valued material in the panto world is essential to create a sense of class and fairytale to your panto. Get it on the set, the costumes, your cast and your floor. The whole show will be that little bit brighter because of it. Just when you think you’ve added enough glitter, add more for good measure, you can’t go wrong.
Got tips of your own?
Get in touch with any top tips of your own. Perhaps you’ve seen other productions which do things particularly well, or you have a simple trick that never fails. I’d love to hear about it!
