Pantomime in London: ‘Snow White’ explains how and why this Christmas tradition began
From Cinderella to Robin Hood, Londoners have more than a dozen different pantos to choose from this December in the capital alone.
For many theatregoers, pantomimes are simply part of the Yuletide season. But according to John Savournin, they weren’t always a Christmas event.
“It used to be something that happened on a very seasonal basis,” he explains. “So there might be a summer panto, an Easter panto as well – always tied into some sort of religious holiday.”
This year, Savournin stars in a London panto that he also devised, Mirror Mirror: A Snow White Pantomime, at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington.
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The show has all the traditional trappings: a cross-dressing dame and an active audience role. But unlike others, this play is performed by the Charles Court Opera, which adds an exceptional range of music and singing to the mix.
Check out this video to learn a bit more about the art, and visit the theatre’s website if you’d like to see Savournin for yourself.
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