Christmas Memories: My Only Pantomime Experience by Rebecca Raisin

When I contacted authors about taking part in my Fictional Characters in Panto feature I didn't even consider the reality that pantomimes are mainly a British tradition and are not as well-known in other countries.  So I'd especially like to thank Australian author Rebecca Raisin who offered to share with us her one and only experience of seeing a pantomime instead.

I’m not sure that pantomimes are as big here as they are in the UK, or it could be that I just live in a bubble! 

Though, when my boys were two we took them to a local pantomime, and the only one I’ve ever been to! The actors were friends of ours in the community, and we’d watched them rehearse on weekends, and were excited to see them on the opening night. 

The performed Scrooge, and I was completely blown away by how good they were! I was a little worried the boys would get bored, being almost babies still, but they sat there for two hours mesmerised! We sat close to the stage and they could see every minute detail from the costumes, to the make-up. They were entranced! 

It was such a great night, a balmy summer evening in Perth, and the amphitheatre was set back from a small lake, so there was ducks watching the show too. We met some friends there, and all took a picnic and some nice wine. It’s one of my favourite Christmas memories because it was such an easy, fun night! I had expected to have to take the boys home, but they were so well behaved, which is very unlike them! 

I would love to visit the UK once at Christmas time and see a panto there! Your Christmas seems so much more romantic than ours with all your fluffy white snow! Our Christmas is over the summer time and if often sweltering, so you’ll find us inside under the air con, or at the beach! Making snow men seems so much more exciting!  (Sadly Bec we very rarely get a white Christmas that you see in the movies and when it does snow it usually creates chaos!).

Thanks for having me here today! 

And I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!