'It's behind you!' How Britain goes wild for pantomimes during the holidays

"Foreboding music begins. A scary green witch announces her arrival with a cackle. It's the opening of Wicked Witches, a British holiday-time play known as a "pantomime," at a North London theater. But soon after she walks on stage, it's clear the witch isn't happy with the audience. She says the audience is being too quiet, and should boo her as loudly as they can, because she is the "villain" of the pantomime."

"Throughout the two-hour play, the audience is expected to join in, shouting out classic lines that most people who attend already know, even if they haven't seen this play. Pantomimes are famous for crowds calling out catch phrases e like "it's behind you!" to alert the actors to something, or someone, they can't see on stage. All across Britain during the festive period, families attend pantomimes often shortened to "pantos" which help get them into the Christmas spirit."

"Pantomimes are usually based on a well-known story, often a fairy tale, which is then given a bawdy twist. Traditionally, they feature female characters, or "dames," played by a man in drag, and include lots of music, particularly pop parodies. The show at the Pleasance Theatre is inspired by The Wizard of Oz and Wicked. Its storyline imagines a blizzard that brings Dorothy (whose name has changed to Dor) back to Oz, 20 years after that first visit."

Pantomimes are British holiday-time theatrical productions that combine comedy, music, and audience participation. Performances prompt crowds to shout familiar catchphrases such as "it's behind you!" and to heckle villains on cue. Traditional pantomime conventions include bawdy twists on fairy tales, male actors playing female "dames" in drag, and pop-music parodies. The Pleasance Theatre production Wicked Witches adapts elements of The Wizard of Oz and Wicked, imagining a blizzard that returns Dorothy (renamed Dor) to Oz two decades later. Productions often feature celebrity cameos and topical references, including filmed appearances by public figures and celebrated actors.

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