Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Does the panto dame have a place in 2021?
Pantomime is a classic British staple – dry and childish humour, ridiculous costumes, and crude jokes just for the adults – and none would be complete without the true star of the show .... the dame.
But is the role of what is often derided as “the fat man in the dress” still socially acceptable and relevant in an ever-changing world?
The art of pantomime goes back to Ancient Greece, when men would perform in female roles as it was not accepted that women should be on stage.
From the 16th century, Italian Commedia Dell’arte began, which is the true root of British pantomime.
In ancient Italian theatre, there are examples of damestyle characters – the Columbina was a man playing a female servant.
This continued into Shakespearean times as men would have to take up iconic female characters such as Juliet and Lady Macbeth. Women were strictly forbidden to step foot on stage.
British pantomime was born in the 18th century, with a recipe of classic Commedia Dell’arte and British slapstick humour. This is a combination that has proved successful and remained the same ever since.
The first true pantomime dame was Dan Leno, a comedian, and he captured the hearts of audiences at the Surrey Theatre.
Dames of the present day always want to replicate that same success and take to the stage every Christmas hoping to make audiences laugh.
Ben Roddy, an actor from Canterbury, has become accustomed to playing this historical pantomime role, and is currently doing so for the ninth year at the Marlowe Theatre.
He says is inspired by the ‘Old Mother Riley’ characters of the past and plays the role more as though it is a clown or harlequin than a true woman.
“I feel like the dame is a clown – that’s how I relate to it anyway,” he explains. “I don’t really consider it to be drag.
“Other people have different opinions and they’re all valid, but that’s how I play mine and there is no suggestion at any time that I’m actually a woman.”
There is obviously a crossover between drag artistry and the dame character – the very principle of a man dressed as a woman is the same.
Many dame characters are played by heterosexual men, which has raised the concern that it could be seen as making a mockery of queer culture and the LGBTQ+ community.
But Ben assures that the laughs come from the actor as the butt of the joke, and there is no intention to make fun of anyone.
“There are plenty of wonderful drag artists who would play dames very successfully, but that’s not how I play it,” he adds.
“I think it’s just a question of, you know, I’m a man dressed as a woman. So in that sense, I suppose it is drag.
“Drag has its roots in a different place to a panto dame, which has its roots elsewhere I guess?”
He jokes that the dame is more grotesque, and he makes no attempt to be pretty, which he has been very successful at.
Although Ben still believes that despite being very different, the very concept behind the dame aligns with the LGBTQ+ community.
He continued: “I mean, they very much come from the same place of subversion and freedom of thought and opinion.
“It’s also just the chaos and enjoyment of being who you are and embracing who you are.
“I think we’re very conscious of always trying to punch up with our jokes and never down.
“No one is the butt of our jokes, and if there is one it’s generally us. It’s just a strong tradition.”
With society evolving at a rapid pace there is always a fear that traditions can become outdated and no longer align with mainstream views.
Chatham’s very own Drag Race star, River Medway, performed in a West End pantomime rendition of Dick Whittington. This was a pantomime like no other, with a full cast of drag queens instead of the usual dame.
The Assembly Hall theatre in Tunbridge Wells has also taken the progressive approach, no longer joking about women doing all the cleaning and cooking, and saying hello to the “boys, girls and non-binary folk”.
Ben says: “I think it’s vital that panto evolves because it’s just a reflection of society really.
“Panto has been going in its current form for 150 odd years because it embraces change and moves forward.
“The audience and the people on stage are kind of the same and we all move together – I think as soon as it stops moving, that’s when there will be trouble.”
Ben believes the Marlowe Theatre has truly embraced change, adding: “We’re really proud this year at the Marlowe for the way our show has evolved.
“We’ve had some fantastic reviews saying it’s like the future of pantomime.
“We’re holding a mirror up to society and I think if we’re honest and truthful with that, then I think we’re OK.”
‘There are plenty of wonderful drag artists who would play dames very successfully, but that’s not how I play it’