Pantomimes: Are they a British institution? Complete history and their origins ahead of festive season

• With Christmas approaching ever nearer, it’s time that the great British custom of the pantomime season begins.
• The beloved, if not polarising in some circles, form of theatrical entertainment has been a mainstay in British society for centuries.
• But its origins actually come from mainland Europe, and were subverted to the theatrics we call and love, or groan, as pantomime.

Cue the “oh no it isn’t” response when I tell you that we are officially in pantomime season. I’ll wait for the response… and I’ll reply with “oh, yes it is.”

I should know - I’m about to write about them as they start to frequent my inbox and have already written about some of the famous faces taking part in panto in 2024, including Katie Price.

What some of us outside of the United Kingdom can’t quite get our heads around is still considered one of the great seasonal traditions leading into winter, with the likes of Jack and The Beanstalk, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty treading the boards in theatres across Britain.

From the tradition of the“ugly” stepsisterbeing a man dressed in women’s attire to the audience participation involving the call and response you engaged inside your head at the start of the article, while not for everyone, pantomime does still have a significant following.

So it should, with it being a great British tradition. But is it though? For as much as we love pantomimes that we want to claim it as a piece of British history, its origins go far back to another civilization, made popular by another European country shortly afterwards.

So while you’re debating whether to head to see pantomimes this year, this is the brief history of how panto made its way into UK culture.

Did Pantomimes originate in the United Kingdom?

For as much as we love panto (delete as appropriate if you’re not a fan) and it being the seasonal tradition starting up this time of year, its roots are actually foreign based.

The word "pantomime" itself comes from Ancient Rome, where performers called pantomimus would act out stories through movement and dance, often without dialogue. This early version was more about physical storytelling than the lively, audience-interactive shows we know today.

But it was in 16th-century Italy where pantomime took shape as something closer to modern-day performances.

Commedia dell’Arte, a form of street theatre from Italy, introduced the stock characters and comedic elements that would evolve into panto. This lively form of theatre featured masked characters like the crafty Harlequin, the bumbling Pantaloon, and the cunning servant, Pulcinella.

The fast-paced, improvisational style was popular across Europe and laid the groundwork for what would become British pantomime.

When did Pantomimes arrive in the United Kingdom?

In the 18th century, pantomime began to take hold in Britain, but it wasn’t initially aimed at children. These early shows were often part of variety performances, blending comedy, dance, and drama.

Over time, pantos became associated with the holiday season, incorporating British fairy tales, folk stories, and eventually, the iconic cross-dressing elements we see today.

The gender-bending roles—the "principal boy" traditionally played by a woman and the "pantomime dame" played by a man—became a staple of British pantomime, adding an extra layer of humour and confusion that audiences loved.

Despite these British innovations, much of the format—the slapstick, exaggerated characters, and physical comedy—came directly from continental Europe.

Are you a panto fan or think pantomime is garrish? Let us know your thoughts about pantomime by leaving a comment down below or if you have an upcoming pantomime, contact the writer of this article ahead of his roundup of pantos in local areas.