Peter Lathan, It’s Behind You: the story of pantomime, London, New Holland, 2004.
Viola Tait, Dames, Principal Boys…and All That: a history of pantomime in Australia, Melbourne, Macmillan, 2001.
R.J. Broadbent, A History of Pantomime, London Simpkin Marshall, 1901.
M. Willson Disher, Clowns and Pantomimes, London, Constable, 1925.
A.E. Wilson, Christmas Pantomime: the story of an English institution, London, Allen & Unwin, 1934.
A.E. Wilson, Pantomime Pageant: a procession of harlequins, clowns, comedians, principal boys, pantomime-writers, producers and playgoers, London, Stanley Paul, 1946.
Howard & Wyndham Pantomimes 1888-1948, Summer Seasons 1933-1948, Edinburgh, Howard & Wyndham, 1948.
Norman Robbins, Slapstick and Sausages: the evolution of British pantomime, London, Trapdoor, 2002.
A.E. Wilson, The Story of Pantomime, London, Home & Van Thal, 1949.
Ivan Butler, Producing Pantomime and Revue, London, W & G Foyle, 1962.
David Mayer, Harlequin in His Element: the English Pantomime 1806-1836, Cambridge MA, Harvard University Press, 1969.
David Pickering, (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Pantomime, London Gale Research, 1983.
Gyles Brandreth, Discovering Pantomime, Aylesbury, Shire Publications, 1973.
Gyles Brandreth, I Scream for Ice Cream: pearls from the pantomime, London, Eyre Methuen, 1974.
Raymond Mander and Joe Mitchenson, Pantomime: a story in pictures, London, Peter Davies, 1973.
Derek Salberg, Once Upon a Pantomime, Luton, Cortney Publications, 1981.
Gerald Frow, “Oh Yes It Is!”: a history of pantomime, London, BBC, 1985.
Philip Parker, (ed.), Pantomime: Webster's Timeline History 1717-2007, San Diego, Icon, 2009.
Millie Taylor, British Pantomime Performance, Bristol, Intellect, 2007.
Tina Bicat, Ruth Staines and Colin Winslow, Pantomime: a Practical Guide, London, Crowood, 2004.
Jim Davis, Victorian Pantomime: a critical reader, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2010.
Paul Harris, The Pantomime Book: the only known collection of pantomime jokes and sketches in captivity, London, Peter Owen, 2008.
John O'Brien, Harlequin Britain: Pantomime and Entertainment 1690-1760, Baltimore, John Hopkins University Press, 2004.
Chris Harris, The Alphabet of Pantomime: there be nothing like a dame, Bristol, Chris Harris Productions, 2000.
Andrew McConnell Stott, The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi: laughter, madness and the story of Britain's greatest comedian, Edinburgh, Canongate, 2009.
It's Behind You Dot Com - The Magic of Pantomime; the best pantomime site on the web.
Pantomime In Scotland: 'Your Other National Theatre'; University of Glasgow Research Project.
The Cultural Politics of English Pantomime, 1837-1901; University of Birmingham Research Project.
The British Library Theatre Archive Project, including interviews about pantomime between 1945 and 1968.
Qdos Pantomimes: 23 productions across the UK.
Pantomimes are a farrago of nonsense suited only to the vulgar and illiterate. – The Theatrical Inquisitor, 1841.
THE TEN THOUSAND MILLION DELIGHTS OF A PANTOMIME
In his introduction to The Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi, (1838) Charles Dickens wrote nostalgically of the ‘ten thousand million delights of a pantomime’. Since then, the style and content of pantomime have changed radically, but theatres and audiences continue to extol its traditions of uninhibited humour and enchantment. Pantomime is one of the oldest forms of popular entertainment, and a pantomime audience is like no other theatre audience. Welcome to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Blackpool Grand Theatre and thank you for providing the first essential ingredient of real theatrical magic, the famous willingness to suspend disbelief!
Christmas is the best time of the year, especially at the Grand. The producers, Peter Frosdick and Martin Dodd, the cast and crew have been preparing for this extravagant pantomime for several months. At last, the show begins. It is so exciting to hear the steadily increasing level of noise around the front of the Grand as the coaches arrive and the parties of excited children surge into the vestibule. Then the first voices from inside the auditorium: the noise can be so exciting that the cast gets a lift, and for us the performance has already begun. The winter disappears into the golden brightness of Panto-Land even before the first lighting cue floods the stage! More than any other, you - the pantomime audience - are an important part of the show. The make-believe starts with you. I hope that all children, or mums and dads or Aunt Doris or the school teacher have a great time at Snow White, a kaleidoscope of emotions and laughter.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is sponsored by The Gazette. I am very grateful to our local newspaper for their generosity in helping to promote the excitements of live performance at the Grand Theatre. This production continues our successful affiliation with UK Productions Limited. The Company's next show here will be Beauty and the Beast. Tickets are now on sale for Disney’s musical, from Tuesday 7th to Saturday 16th November 2006.
We hope that for our thousands of young, new theatregoers, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will set you on a path to a lifetime of pleasure at the Grand Theatre. Pantomime is indeed an English institution to celebrate, and to keep the spirit going into the New Year, we will be presenting a very special show about the father of pantomime and king of clowns, Grimaldi: The Life and Times of Joseph Grimaldi. Written and performed by the versatile Tony Lidington and a company from the Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, Grimaldi is an entertaining insight into early pantomime, including a comical account of the origins of slapstick. This show is ideal for theatregoers of all ages from 9+, on Friday 6th or Saturday 7th January only, at 7.30 pm. Snow White patrons may obtain Grimaldi tickets for only £5 each. Please bring your tickets to the box office and purchase during the interval.
We all wish you a New Year of health, happiness, prosperity and many enjoyable visits to the Grand Theatre. Paul Iles.
The Pantomime Pudding, Illustrated London News, 23 December 1893:
