News, Views and Un-Libellous Gossip (!)

It's started already - the diary for 2004/5!!

Probably the most complete listing of pantomime performances anywhere!

The Roadshow tours schools with an educational programme introducing children to the magic of live theatre. Aimed at Key Stage Two Primary children it offers what may be the first experience of theatre to pupils in a comedy performance that will both entertain and educate.

“Learning through Laughter”

There are currently two Roadshows available - The Magic of Theatre and The Magic of Pantomime. Click on the image for further information.

Watch out for dates in 2004!

Photos and images of characters, playbills and leading pantomime players past and present.

Three things are required at Christmas time; Plum Pudding, Beef and Pantomime; 

Folks could resist the former two; Without the latter none could do. 

(From an old Pantomime playbill)

• Aladdin

• Cinderella

• Dan Leno

• Dick Whittington

• Joseph Grimaldi

• Jack and the Beanstalk

• Pantomime Chorus & Juveniles

• Pantomime Dames

• Roadshows - The Magic of Theatre and The Magic of Pantomime

• Peter Pan

• Principal Boys

• Principal Girls

• Superstitions & Traditions

• Aberdeen Pantomime Diary - 2001/2

• Hello From America! - A tale of Panto in the USA

• Before They Were Famous

• Bring on those Wonderful Dames

• Darlington Pantomime Diary - 2000/1

• The Development of Pantomime

• Dorothy Ward - Behind the Scenes in a Pantomime

• Double Acts

• Everybody's Weekly - 1948 Pantomime Dames

• Francis Laidler - The King of Pantomimes

• The Granada Pantomimes

• Intermission

• Jack Cannot - a mystery! NEW

• Jack Stanley - Panto Pictures from a Scrapbook

• Julie Andrews and Pantomime

• Manchester Pantomime Diary - 2003/4 The Full Story!

• Mona Vivian - 'Wee Mona'

• Music Hall Pantomimes

• Pantomime Annuals and Comic Books

• Pantomime Perplexities - from 1948

• Pantomime Badges - A Pantomime Tradition

• The Palladium Pantomimes

• Pantomimes at the Liverpool Royal Court

• Patrick Fyffe - A Service of Celebration 11th May 2002

• The Rise and Fall of the Pantomime Harlequinade - from 1954

• The Sinbad Experience

• The Songsheet

• Star Studded Cinderella - Drury Lane 1973

• Southampton Pantomime Diary - 2002/3

• Television Pantomimes

• The Vokes Family

• W.S. Gilbert and Pantomime

The History and Traditions of Pantomime - Information on the various elements that make up this great British institution

Books covering all aspects of pantomime - both in and out of print books listed.

…..the ten thousand million delights of a pantomime…come streaming upon us now.. I was brought up from remote country parks in the dark ages of 1819-20 to behold the splendour of Christmas Pantomime and the humour of the great Grimaldi.. in whose honour I am informed I clapped my hands with great precocity….CHARLES DICKENS

Nigel Ellacott has written and supplied Pantomime scripts to various professional theatres and amateur societies and groups over a number of years. If you have any enquiries for your next pantomime production, please contact him at 

Nigel's script for Jack and the Beanstalk was performed at the Kenneth More Theatre, Ilford from the 19th Dec '02 - 1st Feb '03

Some photos from the production

SEE WHAT YOU'VE MISSED

Featuring links to all the past stories and features.

Find your local theatres website - you'd be amazed how many we have listed. In our opinion it's the most complete link on the web - probably!

If you know a link we don't have - let us know.

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Nigel & Peter have been appearing in pantomime as 'The Ugly Sisters' for over twenty years, and have performed in twenty-nine pantomimes in all.  They were also the faces and voices of the Post Office Christmas 2003 Campaign. This year they will once more be appearing alongside Brian Conley at the Theatre Royal Plymouth.

Nigel has written over twenty pantomime scripts that have been produced around the country and in the US, and together with Peter appears in 'The Magic of Theatre Roadshow' and 'The Magic of Pantomime Roadshow' - see the Roadshow section for further details.

Nigel and Peter have built up an extensive collection of Pantomime archive material, which they would like to share with devotees everywhere. If you have any comments or enquiries regarding this site, please e-mail us at:

To make maintenance easier we have had to close our 'sister' website www.uglysister.net, but you can now find all it's content, and more, right here in www.its-behind-you.com.

uglysister.net

All the information you could ever require about Nigel and Peter