Our Little Mermaid takes the classic underwater story and fills it with a scene-stealing sea-witch, a Dame devoted to saving the wails, a lobster with an exhausting number of honorary titles, and a bargain that costs Ariel her voice.

Pantomimes draws on a set of recurring character types, each with a specific job to do in the story and in the room and understanding them is essential to a great show. Here is a proper look at all of them.

Our Robin Hood has an outlaw band that includes Little John, Big John, Medium John, and Not John, a Dame who runs the Girl Guides, and the Sheriff's mum with sandwiches.

Volunteered to direct your first pantomime and not entirely sure where to start? You're not alone. This guide covers the decisions that matter most, from choosing the right script to running your first rehearsal, and gives you a clear path through the process.

Our Pinocchio has a Dame who's a carpenter with a Lumber-ghini joke, a villain who's the good fairy's brother, and a climactic scene set inside a whale.

A pantomime that looks good feels more magical, and looking good doesn't require a professional design budget. Here's what I've found works for set design and costumes, from the simpler end right through to the fully built production.

Songs can make or break a pantomime. Choose them well and they lift every scene they're in; choose them badly and they slow the show down. Here's my thinking on how to pick the right numbers, and what the Panto Songs page is there to help you with.

Our Rapunzel script has the worst hair salon in Quiffendale, a villain's son who'd rather not be involved, and a pet rabbit who becomes very large and surprisingly talkative.

A well-timed sound effect can get a bigger laugh than a great line. Terrible sound timing can kill a scene stone dead. Here's what I've found works for pantomime sound and music, from villain stings to the live band advantage and briefing your sound operator.

A pantomime audience isn't just watching, they're part of the show. How you play to them, include them, and ride their energy makes the difference between a performance that works and one that truly flies. Here's what I've found helps most.

Our Jack and the Beanstalk has a cow with strong opinions about milking stools, a Giant Tax collected by the giant's mum, and a beanstalk that actually grows.

Our Beauty and the Beast has a wicked witch whose rejected marriage proposal starts everything, a castle staffed by talking furniture, and a clock permanently stuck at five twenty-three.

You've got a finite number of rehearsals, and they'll go one of two ways. Here's what I've learned about rehearsing pantomime properly: getting off book fast, keeping the show moving, and knowing it’s only a mistake if the audience notice!

Our Goldilocks is set inside a circus, features a custard pie machine called the Pie-O-Matic 6000, and has a villain who steals a lollipop from Baby Bear.

Most groups aren't at either extreme. Five of our scripts sit in the medium cast sweet spot, 10 to 13 principal roles, but they're quite different shows. Here's what makes each one the right fit for a particular kind of company.

Our Cinderella has Ugly Sisters called Ammonia and Amnesia, a Fairy Godmother who has delegated most of her responsibilities to her intern, and bailiffs named Grabbit and Runn.

Pantomime comedy is a specific craft, and the instinct to "play funny" is often the thing that gets in the way of it. Here's what I've found actually works, from casting decisions to keeping a straight face at exactly the right moment.

Not all large cast scripts are the same. Some need the numbers to work properly; others scale up naturally. Here's how to tell the difference, and which of our scripts belongs in which camp.

Our Sleeping Beauty has a Dame who's also the Queen, a Herald who's lost his trumpet, and a villain whose arrival at the naming ceremony sets everything spectacularly wrong.

Pantomime has been making audiences laugh for a very long time. From ancient Greece to the Italian Commedia tradition to the glittering stages of Victorian Britain, the history of panto is one of the most gloriously improbable in all of theatre. Oh yes it is!