Oh No it’s Not, Oh Yes it Is! It’s Panto Time Again

 

I was 15 when I went to the theatre for the first time, to a production of Beckett’s Happy Days at the newly opened Civic Theatre in Tallaght. Yeah, really. For most people, the Christmas pantomime is their first exposure to the footlights. I went to my first panto when I began working as a professional theatre critic, and it took me a while to appreciate the hammy political in-jokes, the over-stimulating soundtracks, the audience participation, and the glo-sticks, oh the glo-sticks! Trough sheer immersion over the years, I have become quite fond of the spectacular tackiness. But if you cannot convert yourself for the sake of the children, there are plenty of more sophisticated theatrical experiences on offer too.

As Christmas season swiftly approaches, here are my top five theatrical choices:

1. Little Red Riding Hood: The Gaiety Theatre

The longest running panto in Ireland and without a doubt the best. The attention to detail, production design and professional cast lift it far above the frivolous pop-cultural reworking of the fairytale that has become the panto standard.

 

2) Jack and the Beanstalk: The Helix Theatre

TheatreWorx have only been producing panto for ten years, but they have quickly established themselves: the season is almost entirely sold out. Their affiliated theatre school provides an excellent young support ensemble without the standard precocity. Full marks for their Autism-friendly performances too.

3) Mary Poppins, Bord Gais Energy Theatre

Yes the tickets are ridiculously expensive, but Christmas comes only once a year, right? I actually saw this production in London before I had kids myself and it is INCREDIBLE! (No refunds if you disagree).

4) Elf Factory, Various Venues

About as far as you can get from a big budget musical, Elf Factory is a gentle and intimate show for very young children (2+). We saw it last year and were really impressed by the care taken over the young audience. Tour details can be found at http://www.littlebigtop.info/#/elf-factory-recruitment/4584554889

5)  Little Light, Various Venues

A modern fable that draws inspiration from the beginning of time. Eschewing direct engagement with Christmas, Little Light presents the story of a young girl on a quest to free the sun from the all-encompassing winter darkness.

http://www.monkeyshinetheatre.com/little-light/

The Toddler Tour: Marsh’s Library

We ended up in Marsh’s Library over the mid-term break, taking advantage of the free entry during the Bram Stoker Festival; the author of Dracula was a frequent visitor. I had been to the library a few times as a child, as my brothers were choristers in St Patrick’s Cathedral next door. I vividly remember the book cages where they used to lock readers in with valuable manuscripts, and had prepped the almost-4 year-old well with that tale before we went in.

Family Friendliness:

A library is not always the most welcoming place for the pre-literate but Marsh’s Library have made a real effort to make the library attractive for young visitors. My pair were a bit young to appreciate any of it, but I can imagine children from 6 years old would be fairly gripped by the Scary and Hairy Tales, a Children’s Trail that highlights some of the more gruesome stories from the museum’s archives and history. There are ghosts in the gallery, mummies, spiders, skulls, and the reading cage. The stories are well displayed with vivid cartoons, which are available to take away in an attractive comic designed by John Rooney. You can also try writing with a quill pen or a typewriter.

Accessibility:

There is no lift or ramp, and no-one manning the entrance door, so I deposited the kids at the top of the steep staircase, and ran down to bring the buggy up myself. There are clean toilets, though no changing facilities. There is no coffee shop, but this is the city centre so you wont be stuck for refreshments. St Patrick’s Park is around the corner for run-arounds, and if the kids have the energy, it is always worth popping into the cathedral, especially near 3pm for Evensong.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea: Review

There is a postmodern frame to this theatrical telling of Judith Kerr’s famous 1968 picture-book. In this adaption by David Wood the players tell us they are going to put on a play, and they enlist the audience’s help in setting off on their journey. The story is true to the original, but there are some embellishments to fill the world out and add some humour: Dad is late for work, for example, while the milkman has a lot more than milk concealed in his basket.

The Tiger’s first appearance is made by way of peekaboo, and kids will have great fun pretending they are at the panto: “he’s behind you!” There are some wonderful feats of theatrical trickery too. The Tiger’s ability to swallow platefuls of food will have children and adult’s alike wondering about the stage magic.

David Wood’s music and lyrics are on the basic side, but the cast encourage participation from the young audience and this definitely helps with their engagement. Just as restlessness sets in, they are invited to stand and do some Tiger Aerobics, while the final scene is a five-minute long singalong about sausages, chips and ice-cream. Guess what my pair wanted for dinner?

Fans of the book will not be disappointed. There are two shows tomorrow in at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire; Then 8th/9th November, Town Hall Theatre, Galway; 10th/11th November, Cork Opera House.