DIY Panto Pack 2011/2012
1. Introduction 2. Getting Started 3. Script 4. Costumes 5. Props 6. Advertising 7. Performance 8. What to do next Contents
Introduction Hello Boys & Girls and welcome to the Southend Theatres DIY Panto Pack. We want to help everyone enjoy Panto season as much as we do so this pack will give you tips and advice on how to put on your very own version of. Pantomime started two and a half thousand years ago and the first real Panto performers were the Greeks. Their performers would wear masks to perform stories about the Gods. The Pantomime was also popular in Imperial Rome! Pantomime as we know it today dates back to the middle ages, taking on board the traditions of Commedia dell Arte, Italian Night Scenes and British Music Hall. The Dame was a creation that emerged from the early music halls of the Victorian era. There are many traditions in Pantomime but one of the most important ones is that the Pantomime Villain must always enter first from stage left and the Good Fairy from stage Right. This echo s the tradition in medieval times when the entrances to heaven and hell were places in these sides. (Stage right is on the actor s right hand side when he looks at the audience, and stage left is on the actor s left hand side when he is looking at the audience.) Cinderella is the most popular pantomime of them all. It was first performed in Covent Garden in 1870! This year Southend s Cliffs Pavilion is proud to present from Saturday 10 th December to Saturday 31 st December 2011. Tickets are already on sale so if you would like to see this year s show call our box office on 01702 351135 and book your tickets today. Pantomime is a great first experience of theatre for children of all ages!
Getting started On the next page you will find your script. Your next job is to get a cast! This Pantomime has 6 characters. Once you have your cast then you need to practice. And remember Practice Makes Perfect (Oh no it doesn t!) Oh, yes it does! When you call your cast together you need to rehearse your Panto. For this you need to read through the script and work out what actions everyone on the stage will be doing. In this pack you will also find a page on what costumes you need to find and what props you might like to make. There is advice on how to let people know about your performance and a mock-up of a poster for you to advertise your Pantomime. We will also give you tips on what to do in a performance and how you can share that performance with us at the Cliffs Pavilion as well as other people who have taken part in the Cliffs Pavilion DIY Panto.
The Cast The The Genie Widow Twankey Washy List of Scenes Scene One Widow Twanky s Laundry Scene Two Outside the Cave of Wonders Scene Three Inside the Cave of Wonders Scene Four The Palace Scene Five s Lair
Scene One Widow Twanky s Laundry Washy enters from stage right Twanky Twanky Hello Boys & Girls. My name is Washy and this is my Mum s laundrette. I live here with my Mum and my big brother. Shouting off stage Washy. Washy. Where are you? Enters There you are. Washy, I have been looking everywhere for you. I need you to help me with this washing load. There is so much to do and I can t do it all on my own. Why do I always have to help you? Can t you ask? is with the again. I have told him to stay away but he just will not listen. Evil laugh off stage He enters stage left and walks up to Washy Are you? No. is my brother. Why? I am looking for as I wish him to help me with a very important task. I can help you with your very important task. You don t need. Enters Are you taking work away from me Washy? I am. How can I help you? How would you like to be rich beyond your wildest dreams?
Abanasar Abanasar I would love that. If I were rich then I could marry the and we could live happily ever after. What do you need me to do? I need you to help me find an old family heirloom. It is a lamp and it is hidden in a cave. The cave is filled with gold and jewels. As soon as you have found my lamp you can help yourself to all the gold and jewels that you can carry. I get the gold & jewels and all you want is an old lamp? Yes, that s right. Brilliant. I will do it. Then meet me as the sun is setting by the Magic Pool of Arabia. Great. See you then. exits Twanky Twanky Oh. I don t think you should go. What if it is dangerous? Don t worry about me Mum. Once I have all the gold & jewels I can carry you will be able to live like a queen. No more laundry for you. That does sound good. Sulking And what about me? I always get left out. You can live like a princess. That sounds good. You had better hurry along. You don t want to be late. See you later Boys & Girls.
Scene Two Outside the Cave of Wonders Audience Abanasar Audience Abanasar Audience Audience Enters Here I am. So where is this Cave of Wonders? Its just here (points off stage) You need a top secret word to enter the cave that only I know. I bet the audience knows it. Oh no they don t Encouraging the audience Oh yes we do. Oh no you don t. Oh yes we do. Oh no you don t. Oh yes we do. Go on then. What is it? Open Sesame! Ok, maybe you do know it!. Now the cave is open you must go in. Remember you can have anything in the cave that you like but I must have the lamp first. Looking Off Stage I m not sure I can go in there after all. It looks very dark in there.
Yes you can. And he pushes. Scene Three Inside the Cave of Wonders enters. s voice can be heard off stage. What can you see? Can you see my lamp? I can t see anything. It s so dark in here. I don t like it. Keep looking. The sooner you find it the sooner you can come out. I think I am going to come out now. I will never find the lamp in here. You will do no such thing. Close Sesame! The cave closes To the audience Oh no. Now I shall never get out. I shall never be rich and I shall never marry the princess. walks around the cave. He kicks something. It is the lamp. He pick it up and rubs it. The Genie appears Genie Genie Hello Master. I am the Genie of the Lamp. Your wish is my command. He bows. You are who? I am what? I am the Genie of the Lamp and you are now my master. I can make all your dreams come true. Wow!
For my first wish I should like to get out of this cave and my second wish would be to be a rich prince. My final wish is to marry the. Genie Your wish is my command Scene Four The Palace & the enter from opposite sides, there you are. I have been so worried about you. You have nothing to worry about princess. I am safe and now I am rich we can get married. That is brilliant, but I do not need you to be rich. It is the man I love. I know, but now that I am rich your father will allow us to marry. Where did all your riches come from? I shall explain later once I have found Mum and Washy. I shall be right back. Hold on to this for me. As exits he hands the the lamp. enters disguised as an old man. New lamps for old. New lamps for old. Swap your old lamp for a nice new one. Are you selling something old man? No my dear. I am just swapping old lamps for nice, shinny new ones. Would you like to swap that one you are holding for a nice new one?
It s not really mine to swap. It belongs to. I m sure he wouldn t mind you swapping it. Think about how happy he will be when he returns to see a nice new, shiny lamp. That is true. And this lamp is old and not very nice. Go on then, let s swap. The and swap lamps. As soon as has the lamp he removes his disguise. You silly girl. Now I have the magic lamp and I am the master of the magic Genie. Enters What is going on here?, we meet again. Your foolish has given me the magic lamp and now I am master of the Genie. I am so sorry. I did not know. rubs the lamp and the Genie appears. Genie You called master. Oh no, not you! Yes, it s me. Now I am your master you must grant my first wish. I wish you to take me and the to my secret lair where we are to be married. No. help me! Scene Five s Secret Lair The is sitting in the centre of the stage and is pacing around her holding the lamp.
You can t keep me here. I can and I will. will save me. Ahh, I think it s cute that you actually think he will save you. I am the master of the Genie now and you are mine. enters followed Widow Twanky and Washy Twanky Twanky Ah-hah! Yes! Ah-Hah! Yes! Ah-hah! Ah-hah! How did you get here? You may be the master of the Genie but that does not stop him helping me. Yes, he left a trail of jewels between s house and your lair. So now we have found you and I am rich! Now, release the., I knew you would rescue me. Don t speak too soon. I still have the lamp and I am still the master of the Genie. No one can defeat me! (Evil laugh) Pointing in to the audience. Look, what s that? looks. Twanky takes the lamp and rescues the.
Ha ha. I knew you would fall for that. rubs the lamp and the Genie appears Genie Genie What is your wish master? Genie, please take far away from here and make sure he never bothers us again. Your wish is my command. The Genie drags off stage while struggles. Twanky Can we go home now? Sounds like a great idea. would you like to come to dinner at ours? Oh,. I would love to The End
Costumes For s costume you need to find a pair of baggy, dark coloured trousers (try some that belong to your parents & roll the legs up). Then find a bright coloured belt or make your own out of bright material. Add to this a waistcoat. If you can find some bright buttons or trim add that, or cut out some shapes on bright paper and stick them on. For his shoes you need to find a pair of backless slippers Keep s costume dark colours. A dark shirt and pair of trousers. And see if you can find a cape, or make one out of black bin liners. You can decorate the cape with gold coloured shapes or put a gold trim on it. The The needs a long flowing skirt and a bikini top. Add to this lots of bangles and necklaces in bright colours. If your has long hair you can put it in a bun and decorate it with jewels. For the princess make-up make sure you have lots of sparkles and glitter. The Genie As the Genie is a fantasy character then anything goes. Baggy trousers with a different coloured waist band look good and if you are brave you can even use body paint to paint your Genie blue like he is in the cartoons.
Widow Twankey Widow Twanky needs rollers in her hair and to wear an apron. For her make-up you can make her cheeks very red and put some bright coloured eye shadow on her eyes. Washy Washy needs lots of bright colours. He needs bright baggy trousers and a bright baggy shirt which can be tucked in. Then a bright waistband.
Props The Genie s Lamp For the Genie s lamp you need to find a tea pot. Then cover it with tin foil to make it shiny. Jewels You will need jewels for the cave and for the Genie to drop. Old costume jewellery is good for this the bigger the better!
Advertising Now that you have rehearsed your cast, found your costumes and made your props it is time to tell people when you will be performing your Pantomime. You need to make a poster so that people will know that you are performing. On your poster you need to include o The title (in this case it s ) o The date and time of your performance o Where you will be performing o You could also add who will be starring in your Pantomime The Performance Now you are ready to perform!
You need a performance space. Enough room for the whole cast to get on stage. Then opposite that you need to put out chairs for the audience. Make sure they can all see you. One person needs to show the audience to their seats while the rest of the cast are hidden. When all your audience are sat down you are ready to perform. When you finish the Pantomime make sure the whole cast comes back on stage to take a bow. Your audience will want to give you a big round of applause! What to do next When you perform your panto make sure you get someone to take photos or film the performance. You should then email them to submissions@southendtheatres.org.uk and we will post them on to our Facebook site. The photos that, in our opinion, show the most imaginative production will win 10 free tickets for that group to see the Cliffs Pavilion Pantomime. Photos/films must be submitted to the Cliffs Pavilion by 22 nd December 2011.