Behind the Footlights: OH, YES THEY DID! The Tradition of the Panto Continues at People’s Light & Theatre

By Ellen Wilson Dilks

Back in 2001, a student in People’s Light & Theatre Company’s adult theatre classes described the centuries old British holiday tradition of Pantos to Company Member Kathryn Petersen, who was captivated and proceeded to delve into this unique theatrical genre.  From so simple a conversation, a PLTC holiday-time favorite was born. 

Since that first production, it has become clear that this is a labor of love for everyone at People’s; the artists have as much fun presenting the production as the audience does seeing it.   Why else would they annually go through with the monumental effort of creating, in essence, a brand-new musical in under a year?  And that is what a Panto is basically: using a well-known tale as a jumping off point, the company creates musical numbers and physical comedy bits to delight everyone from “5 to 105.”  In those early years, it was hard to describe this mix of musical comedy and vaudeville to the uninitiated, but People’s has built up quite a fan base in the ensuing seasons. This year’s audiences will be treated to Aladdin: A Musical Panto.

The form developed in Britain at a time when traditional theatrical performances were illegal. Owing a great deal to the very physical Italian Commedia dell’ Arte, there are also certain long-standing conventions in a Panto. The “principal boy” is usually played by a young female (in tight pants so the gents have something to look at…), actors play animal characters as helpers in the story, and there is usually a slap-sticky “messy bit” wherein two comedic characters get wet or covered in something gooey. Audience participation is strongly encouraged—root for the hero and boo the villain loudly. Finally, the most popular tradition is the “Dame” role: a man, who makes no attempt to hide his gender, plays the hero’s mother or some such character. PLTC’s resident Dame is actor Mark Lazar—a tall, barrel-chested man with a basso profundo voice. Lazar is a hoot, working the outrageous costumes for all their worth and getting everyone revved up and involved in the fun.

Tweaking things to appeal to American audiences, People’s Light has created an event that families throughout the region look forward to with joy. This season’s production of Aladdin: A Musical Panto—which will run from November 15 to January 7—will be the fourteenth in the Company’s history. The theater’s been blessed with a core cast of company members have the comedic chops to pull off the physical demands of this type of comedy, many of whom return annually because it’s so much fun. Writing credits go to Artistic Associate/Director Pete Pryor and his Assistant Director Samantha Reading (their fourth collaboration), with music and lyrics by award-winning composer Michael Ogborn. As usual, James F. Pyne, Jr. will create the set while Rosemarie McKelvey provides the clever costumes. It’s a creative team that draws on past shows while bringing new fun to the audiences.

We got to sit down and chat with Pete Pryor, as well as actors Susan McKey, Tom Teti and Mark Lazar about Pantos and the joy of creating them. Pryor, who received a grant from PTI to study British pantos, informed us that Aladdin is a substantially rewritten version of the one mounted in 2012. When asked what he feels he brings to the table that’s unique, Pryor responded “my years of misspent youth.” Actually, he got his theatrical start doing comedy, so his skillset in this area is vast. Panto, he stated, has its own set of rules but there’s also a freedom within each performance to take what the audience responds to and run with it a bit. Pryor likes to incorporate the suggestions of the cast as they rehearse, as well as bring out any special talents the actors have that will add to the fun. He said he and Ms. Bellomo complement each other as they write and that composer Michael Ogborn is terrific at creating clever musical numbers. Aladdin: A Musical Panto is Ogborn’s twelfth collaboration with PLTC.

Resident Dame Mark Lazar had the pleasure of befriending legendary British Dame Berwick Kaler, who has performed in York’s annual production for almost 40 years. Lazar feels the multi-generational make-up of both the casts and the audience gives PLTC an edge over the few other companies that produce Pantos in the US. He said People’s Pantos are much more “G-rated” than those in England, but the sense of silliness and joy are very much the same. Lazar feels that (for him at least) the Dame roles are probably the hardest to rehearse because most of the character’s interactions are with the audience—difficult to replicate in a rehearsal room. One thing both he and Company member Tom Teti enjoy working on and performing are when Lazar’s Dame is romantically involved with Teti’s character. Friends for a number of years, the two have a wonderful chemistry and it’s always hilarious when they do these bits. Teti also enjoys the interaction with the audience—especially the children. Another gifted comedian, he brings a lot of heart to the roles as well.

Heart is one thing actress Susan McKey feels makes the People’s Pantos so special. McKey loves the sense of play juxtaposed by the precision required to pull off the comedic elements. Her favorite moments have been the pairings with long-time friend Christopher Patrick Mullen. Adept at physical comedy, the two love working with Pryor on creating the “messy bit.” Ms. McKey also spoke about when the company worked with special needs students at General Wayne Elementary, teaching them to create their own mini-Panto. The students then came to the final dress rehearsal and, in addition to seeing the performance, they shared their work with the actors.

Everyone spoke about how the Pantos are a true collaboration—with the long-time company members taking any new guest artists under their wings and helping them understand the nature of a Panto. The principal boy and girl are the “straight men,” serving as the audience’s way into the story as the chaos unfolds around them. Ms. McKey said it can be “terrifying and joyful.” Even though she’s never jumped from a plane, McKey compared it to skydiving—exhilarating when it all works out right.

If readers want to delve into the history of this unusual type of theatrical performance, the internet offers a lot of info and history, as well as photos. A terrific site is www.itsbehindyou.com  

WHEN YOU GO: Aladdin: A Musical Panto runs from November 15, 2017 to January 7, 2018 on the Leonard C. Haas Mainstage at People’s Light & Theatre Company. The theatre is located at 39 Conestoga road (Route 401) in Malvern, PA 19355. Recommended for ALL ages, evening performances start at 7pm and there will be matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. For complete details about tickets and special events, visit www.peopleslight.org or call the Box Office at 610-644-3500.

Photos Courtesy of People's Light & Theatre.