Pantomime Auditions and Audition Speeches

Welcome back to our forth blog instalment. For those that have missed the other weeks please click here and let us say...welcome! Audition speeches have always been at the forefront of an actor’s mind. And looking at the large collection of books and web pages out there its clearly an ever growing and non definitive puzzle of words. 

Do you pick Shakespeare? Or maybe some classical literature such as Arthur Miller? Perhaps it’s that more modern monologue that will help you get the role? Or even something as obscure as Sarah Kane to make you stand out? We cast through casting call pro and Starnow. Even on casting call pros forum you can see the ambiguity of an actor’s understanding of a pantomime audition speech.  At Panto in a Day we understand this dilemma and have always advised actors that a monologue will be there ready and waiting for their interpretations to prevail. We simply take an excerpt from the pantomime they could potentially be performing and in accordance to the character they applied for. 

Here is an example of an audition speech we used for last years Jack and the Beanstalk; To understand the history of the Dame, click here

Dame: Jack?! Oh, boys and girls. Well, you must excuse me, I have just woken up, but I think you’ll agree I am still looking rather dashing. Did I hear someone say beautiful? I think it was that boy there, well I totally agree my love. Although, my breath does smell a bit. I’ll tell you what, will you guys tell me if it does? I’ll breathe on the front row. (SHE DOES SO). Well is it that bad? It is? Not to worry I’ve got some of that Katie Price perfume I’ll give my tongue a good spray later. Have you met my son Jack? You have? Well he’s a hard working boy but he needs to work a little harder. Rather than running around like a lunatic. But on to more important issues, I am sure you’ve noticed I’ve been on a diet to keep my figure slim but I didn’t expect to be this skinny! I suppose Jack told you all about me? He didn’t? Well my name is Dame Mercedes kailey Martha Jessy Po Trott. But you can call me Dame. Now after three I want to all to shout out your names. 1...2...3...oh brilliant, now I know who you are, although I didn’t get everyone’s. (POINTING TO AUDIENCE MEMBERS). What’s your name? Ohhh a very strong name! And you dear what’s your name? Oh a lovely name. I better go and see where my boy is. So I’ll see you later my lovely’s! Ta rar.

To keep it fair we have also added a link to a speech from Dick Whittington, that isn't our work. But back to our Dame speech, it's a fun piece that opens the pantomime. At all our auditions we watch the actors interpretation. Sometimes they're great, and sometimes not always up to scratch. But either way its a huge learning curve for us too. We can learn alot from getting a script on its feet and sometimes the actor comes up with an idea we haven't considered. We can only advise that 'you go for it'. And yes, this is a generic line that you've probably heard before but it's your personality that's important here. Every emotion and decision you've made is the correct one in your mind and that's very important to see. Sometimes over looked by some directors or those in charge of the audition process. But it's the second reading that is the most important for everyone. Here is where we add our interpretation. We'll ask you to emphasise the strong points and take out the weak ones. Whilst installing some of our own directions. Why? Quite simply to see if you can take direction. This factor is obviously a large part of the decision process for us. 

  

Listen to the hints- Improvising. Before any read through we state the importance of 'carrying on'. There is nothing worse than an actor loosing their line and following up with the highly cringe one word 'sorry'. And if you haven't fallen out of your seat yet, sometimes that's then followed up with 'where was I'. Is that line in the script?! No I didn't think so! Don't get us wrong though, nerves are a natural and humbling attribute that make us human. But the art of blagging (as the average Jo would call it) is key here. Within the acting world 'blagging' is also known as improvising. So to reiterate, we really emphasise that if you get lost, make it up and talk your way through it. There is nothing more admirable than an actor who forgets their lines and yet stays within the moment and knows their character so well they can continue on saying almost anything convincingly. Pantomime is far more lackadaisical than any other play out there which is why throughout rehearsals the best material is that that's improvised. Still, back to the audition process. So regardless of an actor’s presence and ability, saying 'sorry' at a moment of memory loss throughout a speech knocks them back a peg or two. But being average and having the confidence to sit in front of a director and make up elements that aren't the written word gains alot of respect points. 

Ultimately, and we can't recommend this for all auditions; but just have fun! You're auditioning for a pantomime, its whole ethos is fun and enjoyment. There's a great article we have found that offers some valuable tips.... We find the more the actors immerse and loose themselves in it the more successful the applicant. Auditioning is one of the most fun elements to our job and we enjoy seeing each and every one of you. 

Remember we will be auditioning actors later on in the year. Around early/mid November. So follow us on twitter @pantoinaday or go on our website www.pantoinaday.co.uk 

The History of the Dame. With Panto in a Day

The History of the Dame. With Panto in a Day

At Panto in a Day we've had some extraordinary pantomime Dames over the years. But where does the pantomime dame come from and who's the best?

We briefly touched on this in our previous blog, 'The History of Pantomime' but the dame herself (and we mean, himself) has always been the highlight of a Christmas pantomime. The self proclaimed beauty, double entendres 'up to date fashion' sided with witty sense of humour are always going to be the highlight gracing the pantomime. Whilst they perceive themselves in such light we as the audience see an awkwardly funny yet colourful mess.

Traditionally they are played by males, however, here at Panto in a day we have always cast females. But strongly focused on the characters being as extroverted as any other full scaled pantomime. With the likes of Lucinda Forth, Amy Tripp, Andrea Young and Hannah Margaret. 

The pantomime dame emerged from the music halls of the Victorian era. As early as the 1860 and saw the public relish in seeing their favourite comedian play in a role usually cast for women. The ugly sisters date back to the 1860's performed at the Royal StrandTheatre. However, it wasn't until 1897 in Babes in the Woods as we have previously mentioned where we saw an ensemble of men dressed as women. The origins of the 'pantomime crossover' were starting and one of the male actors named Herbert Campbell played 'Nanny Nurse'. 

In most pantomimes the dame is the leads mother. She commonly makes us laugh and follows her son throughout the story ending up in 'love' with another character, resulting in a big sloppy kiss. However, in Cinderella of course the 'dame' character is portrayed through the Two Ugly Sisters, and as Daphne and Celeste would clearly state [clear throat to sing] 'U.G.L.Y you an't got no alibi, you ugly, mmm humm youugly!' This is where our natural instinct to love our 'dame' is tampered with in this story. These are clearly two horrible people! As they keep Cinderella under lock and key forcefully completing the most gruesome of tasks. And as she sweeps the floor we laugh at their jokes and dwell in their loaded insults. We're a 'sucker' for a comic (and when I say we, I mean us. The audience). Forget Cinderella! As horrible as her life is and we'll happily admit her transformation into a princess may well be majestic. But did she make us laugh? Unless she forgot a line or two chances are 'NO'. We leave the theatre asking 'did she really have sea shells in her hair' and 'exactly how many wigs did that dame go through'. They are not the protagonist but we go to see them, laugh with them and leave talking about them. And that is why they are the most important character in any pantomime. They are the epitome of pantomime. 

Notably some of the most iconic pantomime dames were Douglas Byng (1893-1988). The original dame who took his role very seriously. He made all his own costumes and after performing 50 shows (bearing in mind there is only one a year) he created a pretty impressive CV. GeorgeLacey had a similar stint. He started from the age of 19 in 1923 and continued to create one of the most iconic Dames pantomime had to offer. After a staggering 60 shows he hung up the wig in 1984. If you haven't heard of the first two you will have heard of Christopher Biggins, his on and off stage presence makes him an obvious choice to play such a role. Since establishing himself as a serious Dame contender his loveable (or not so loveable) extroverted persona have seen him star in reality shows such as 'I’m a celebrity...get me out of here' and 'Come Dine with Me'. 

The word celebrity here is unfortunately the prevailing one. Since him there hasn't really been a 'well known' actor stepping into the high heels on an annual basis. Sure, there are credible dames out there that play the character every year, but there work, although loved at the time, go under the radar for the rest of the year. Or maybe like Santa they return to the North Pole and hibernate until called upon again. Paul O'Grady, Les Dawson, David Hasselhoff and Keith Chegwin have all donned great costumes and breathed new life into the dame. But our adored Douglas Byng and respected Geroge Lacey are all but gone from this generation. Not that we're complaining, the flip side of injecting new life into old characters will always be loved by Panto in a Day.

The History of Panto in a Day.

So after a brief lesson in the History of Pantomime the next obvious step would be to write about the history of Panto in a Day. Please note, as I refer to myself, I am Mark Evans and I started Panto in a Day in 2010.

We are a small company that has been going for four years, and like many small companies we have huge ambition. The initial inspiration came many years ago. Teaching children and being part of a drama club was one of the many phases of my childhood. However, this phase began to develop into a passion and eventually a profession. After graduating from Exeter University I attended a particularly prestigious drama school in London and completed an MA at Central School of Speech and Drama. The world became ones metaphorical oyster. But as more money went on my Oyster card auditioning rather than profiting I had to change my outlook. Ricky Gervais once said in an interview about ‘The Office’ 'you have to write your own opportunities'. 

The natural step for most actors after drama school is to experience the acting world on the road. It shapes and teaches an actor whilst they learn a huge amount about the industry. But all I heard was complaints from actors telling me they were exploited on such tours. Under paid and over worked. This is where I came in. I understood the logistics and then sat back and said the immortal, ‘I could do this better'. After around 28 seconds later the realisation of taking on companies that had been going for 15 years and have an established network of schools and contacts throughout the country maybe wouldn't be as easy as once thought (even if it was 30 seconds previous). My motto; ‘under promise and over deliver’. 

This was September 2010. 
JOB 1: A pantomime. And how better to choose than to pick your favourite? ‘Dick Whittington’ was the one. I wrote the entire show in three days. The general story is easily accessible on the internet but learning the key to writing a pantomime is slightly more complex. Once you learn it though, it doesn't matter the show, the layout and formula is exactly the same. 

So we had a show, we didn't have a set, costumes, actors or more importantly schools. Actors were always going to be the easy part, unfortunately the industry is vastly outnumbered with actors to jobs. 
JOB 2: Booking schools now seemed the priority. The original name wasn't 'Panto in a Day' it was...(and I embarrassingly type)...‘Dick Whittington At Your School’. No question about it, hindsight is a wonderful, and sometimes brutal reminder. At the time the theory was to just do the one show every year and change the venues. Looking back this was an impractical idea, but at the time wasn't really at the top of my priorities. 

After research and contact with the schools throughout London the bookings started coming in. 
JOB 3: The set. The canvas for the set was ordered and after a genius invention using drainage pipe the frame could be created at a very reasonable price. This was also very light for the actors and a quick set up when arriving at the schools. I had a great contact at channel 5's Milkshake! And she painted the set and it looked incredible. The costumes were borrowed, bought and accumulated. 

JOB 4: I need actors. Auditioning the actors confirmed my fears of the fact that the industry is over populated with educated and prestigious actors. My first commitment to the actors was to audition them with respect and reply to all of them regardless of if they got the job or not. Being the company’s first show I had decided to be one of the actors. The two other actors were females, Lucinda Forth and Annie Clarke, two great actresses and lovely people. My second commitment was to make sure their comfort was a priority. If they weren't happy, neither was I, I also made sure their pay was higher than any competitors. We want quality not quantity.  The show was a three hand piece consisting of seven characters. (This is a generic line I use when speaking to schools on the phone). 

JOB 5. Rehearse. Hiring a space around London is so easy, there are many unused rooms begging to be filled with creativity. As I'd written the show I had the whole play mapped out in my head. So rehearsals were quite literally taking the words from the paper onto the stage. (Well, maybe not 'quite literally'. Pet hate). So after four intensive days of rehearsals we were ready to take the show to the people!

JOB 6: On the road. We hired a comfortable seven seater car. (Not a white van, a luxurious and comfortable Vauxhall Zafira). The first three days, SNOWED IN. You got it, months of planning and all schools were shut for the first six shows. Fear settled in and I instantly regretted everything. Fortunately, as the snow melted away with my fears things began to pick up. The schools loved it and the children screamed their little heads off. We managed to rebook all the schools that we missed due to snow and returned in January. There were promises from the schools of rebooking for next year and it seemed wheather I wanted to or not, destiny had created 'Panto in a Day'. 

www.pantoinaday.co.uk

The History of Pantomime. With Panto in a Day.

Pantomime has been engrained in us for many centuries. And although we've adapted it to a more modern audience- adhering to men dressed as women, food being thrown around the stage and a crazy (yet predictably rehearsed) '12 days of Christmas' sing along we thought it'd be integral to study it's origins.

With this being Panto in a Day's first blog entry we thought it essential to revise the historical birth of Pantomime. 

If you Google 'pantomime' (and let’s face it, that'll be the first stop before the library) the definition you will find is this; 

A dramatic entertainment, originating in Roman mime,in which performers express meaning through gestures accompanied by music.

Instantly you can see how this has changed to our current association with 'Pantomime'. The word Pantomime derives from the Greeks, literally translating as 'imitating actor'. The Greeks were notorious for their tragic plays, with World changing authors such as Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Then someone somewhere decided life was being portrayed too seriously. And we, at Panto in a Day would personally like to shake his hand. He sounds like someone we would get on with. We can only assume, as his eyes became heavier at the third performance of Agamemnon at the festival of Dionysus Pantomime was born. Please don't get us confused, Euripides was known at the time for being a comic writer but we find it very unlikely he wrote the immortal pantomime line ‘it’s behind you’!

‘Pantomimes’ for children and adults alike started throughout Greece.

Including slapstick comedy for the younger ones and phallic costumes for the older ones, accompany the mimed story there’d be a narration with a flute and song. Such plays (or pantomimes, as we came to know them) become popular throughout Greece. 

During the Middle Ages pantomimes developed from the well known ‘Mummers Plays’, increasingly popular at festivals to show a town's traditions within the community. 

They contained a lot of the archetypical characters with coarse humour, slapstick fighting and fierce creatures. With the influence of gender reversal through Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ and the law passed that Women weren't allowed to be actors we saw the birth of our classic Dame. 

Quite simply, if you wanted the female character to be funny you made sure you picked a very masculine actor. Ironically today, we try to feminise our Dames as much as possible. Extravagant costumes, huge amounts of make-up and a high voice. 

Across the continent, 'Commedia Dell'Arte' took Europe by storm. Originally created in Italy they introduced flamboyant costumes, comedic characters and female actors. The use of masks was to originally hide the person's face and create the 'every-man'. A lot of the Commedia Dell'Artes' shows had a huge political influence and by introducing the mask the audience couldn't pigeon hole the actor based on their looks. Such disciplines were so focused that troupes would perform to the general public, nobility and even Kings and Queens. Performing topical, fun and informative shows had just become financially viable and quite profitable.  

During the 19th century stories began to be adapted from classic European fairy-tales. The British public enjoyed shows that included the classic Harlequin character. (A comical protagonist). By 1897 ‘Babes In The Woods’ was shown in Drury Lane with a male dame, and male lead. 

At the start and throughout the middle of the twentieth century fairy tales where still being adapted and the theatre owners noted an increased ticket sales at the Christmas period. This was partly due to the publication of Charles Dickens' ‘A Christmas Carol’ that was first published on 19^th December 1943. Hence the pantomime is now shown at the festive period.  

With the huge influence of Disney in the early and mid twentieth century writers lost fairy tales and realised incorporating current stories would sell more seats. However, some still stuck; ‘Aladdin’ is still hugely popular, based on an old Arabic folk tale. Panto in a Day performed ‘Aladdin’ in 2011. Dick Whittington is another story that comes from the 17^th century and also another show Panto in a Day has performed back in 2010.

In conclusion, it’s obvious to see the growth of pantomime. From its origins to what we now know. Its structure was created with the Greeks, adapted into celebrations and folk stories throughout the middle ages and then modernised for a larger audience of today. Pantomime has always been at the forefront of modernisation to encapsulate it’s audience. Could one argue that the simplicity of the story is what sells the tickets? Or the nostalgic festive family tradition of ‘going to the local pantomime’? Whichever your view point Pantomime is timeless, and even with theatre's uphill struggle with current technology pantomime will continue to thrive- through profit and ultimately, entertainment.