No dames, just women in Cinderfella
Turning traditional panto convention on its head, this year’s show at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow boasts an allfemale cast.
Doing away with Dames, Cinderfella features female actors dressing as men to play the wicked stepbrothers and a princess rather than a prince hosting the ball.
Written by Johnny Mcknight, who has been penning the boutique theatre’s pantomimes for years, it follows on from last year’s Mammy Goose panto, which portrayed a tale of same-sex love between two heroes. Speaking to the BBC last week, Mcknight said: “Even though panto should be daft and silly, I still believe there should be equality.
“It would be great if more female comedians were celebrated and given the stability of work as a lot of men have been afforded for hundreds of years. And if that pushes a conversation a bit further then great.” in Rapunzel at the Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling.
“Panto has been a boys’ game for too long but I’m glad to say we now have Elaine C Smith as a Dame, and at the Macrobert the cast is gender-split.
“In the past it was mostly the men who were the funny ones and that’s changing.”
One of the most striking changes is that the romantic hero – the principal boy – is no longer played by a woman in short coat and tights, a strong tradition in Victorian and Edwardian times when it was considered risqué to see a woman’s legs.
Despite these changes, Johnny believes Scottish panto’s success is due to sticking to its music hall roots, and as a result is superior to productions south of the border.
“Their panto is much bluer, adult comedy with innuendos you wouldn’t want to explain to your kids.
“We have stayed truer to our panto tradition – it’s all about telling a very moral fairy tale where good conquers evil.
“Panto is steeped in working class tradition, where the little man wins out over the big man and brings down the system.
“It’s a wonderful tradition if everyone on stage respects it. Panto has to be magical, thrilling and brilliant, and I’m lucky to follow in the footsteps of great Scottish panto comedians such as Stanley Baxter, Johnny Beattie, The Krankies, Gerard Kelly and Elaine C Smith – all legends.”
Today, the enduring appeal of the panto is that three generations of a family can enjoy a show together – an otherwise rare happening in an age of smartphones, tablets and digital streaming.
“It’s the one time many people go to the theatre in a year and they often go in groups so it’s a communal experience,” said Dr Maloney.
“Panto is big business and is holding its own where other types of theatre other than big musicals struggle to survive.”