Ambitexto

Why do British theatres fill with shouting every winter?

• The funny old woman, the dame, is always played by a man.
• The audience shouts 'He's behind you!' and 'Oh no it isn't!'
• It all grew from Italian masked comedy and a famous London clown.

In 2016, about 2.9 million people went. Oh yes they did.

Words for the text

panto

A funny family show with songs, at Christmas time.

stage

The place in a theatre where the actors are.

audience

The people who watch a show.

hero

The main good person in a story.

villain

The bad person in a story.

The opening of the text

Panto season

Every year, in late November, British theatres start to change. Posters go up for Cinderella, Aladdin and Jack and the Beanstalk. The panto season has begun. It goes on until January.

A pantomime, or panto, is a funny show for families. It tells an old fairy tale, with songs, jokes and dancing. For many British children, it is their first visit to a theatre.