Pantomimes at the Lion
Horncastle Theatre Company has put on a traditional pantomime (almost) every year since 1983 (with a break during lockdown!). It is an annual tradition for many Horncastle families and tickets for the matinees tend to sell out straight away!
We are proud that our pantomimes have always been written ‘in house’ by members. In fact there is usually more than one script submitted for the Company to choose from! After the submissions are read (and feedback provided!) members vote for the next year’s choice at the Summer Business Meeting.
Our pantomimes are full of local references and in-jokes! For example, the Company bulk purchased fake pigeons for a production that was cancelled due to the pandemic, and in keeping with our ethos that nothing should go to waste, these pesky birds have become an in joke for the set builders, appearing in every pantomime since! Next time you are in the theatre for a show see if you can spot one!
Every panto must, somewhere, contain the line “Oh what a horrid, horrid day” – usually the principal girl, but in recent years also some other characters! And of course all the traditional shouts of ‘Behind you!’ and ‘Oh no you’re not!’ must make an appearance too. Almost every pantomime ends with a chase scene – and always with a happy ending!
Unlike the West End, our pantomime occurs around mid- to late January. While there are many reasons this makes sense for us, it’s actually a tradition some think may date back to local ‘Plough Monday’ mummers plays in Lincolnshire.
These ‘mummers plays’ always contained a love story, a man dressed as a Dame, dancing, ballads, bright costumes, pantomime horse, and ended with a ‘combat and revival sequence’ and general dance. Local records of these plays date back as far as a performance staged for Sir Joseph Banks in Revesby in 1779, and another in Donington on Bain in the 1560s (The Stations of the Sun, Ronald Hutton (1996)).
At only £10 a seat, our traditional pantomime gives cast and audiences something to look forward to and a bright point in the post-Christmas winter gloom. We have only once or twice had to cancel a performance due to snow! If you haven’t been yet, we can promise that our pantomimes punch above their weight, in acting, set and special effects, giving professional productions a run for their money. But be warned – tickets can sell fast!