In December 2016 we went in with several friends and rented a large house in Richmond, North Yorkshire. Amongst other things we did while there, was attend a Panto (more on that in a moment) in an 'untouched' Georgian theatre.
The Richmond Theatre Royal was built in 1788, closed in 1848, reopened in 1963 (this time, with electricity!), restored and extended in 2003, and improved again in 2016. That said, it is still a wee, tiny theatre with bench seats that in America would be for 4, but here it's 6-8 people per bench. And forget about stretching out your legs!
Panto is short for pantomime. But the name is weird & doesn't explain that it's a farce / children's play loosely based on a fairy tale (think: Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc.). Pantos are always, inexplicably, a Christmastime family event, even though it has nothing to do with Christmas.
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| Georgian-era Richmond Theatre Royal |
The shows are always great fun with loads of audience participation and silliness in spades. Although we were all adults, we got into the act and found ourselves throwing 'apples' (nerf-material colored balls) at the non-fairest of them all. This version of Snow White was set during the silent film era in Hollywood and the evil step mother was an aging film star. It was rather creative, and a fun time was had by all!
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