When panto goes wrong, the show must always go on. And there is a lot that could go wrong: malfunctioning pyrotechnics, panic attacks, chafing thighs, broken props, broken bones, bruised egos – and that’s before you get live animals involved. Missed cues and forgotten lines are small potatoes by comparison. So with panto season once again in full swing, we speak to seasoned professionals about the exhausting, error-laden, explosive truth behind the most “magical” season of the year.
Adam Buksh played The Genie in Aladdin at Howden Park Centre, Livingston, West Lothian, in 2013
It was halfway through the show when Aladdin got trapped in the cave. Our version was based on the original story, One Thousand and One Nights (not Disney’s), in which Aladdin possesses two magical entities: a powerful Genie of the Lamp (me) and Scheherazade, Genie of the Ring. I was on stage with Aladdin and Scheherazade, using my magic to smash the ring and break the evil sorcerer’s curse. For dramatic purposes, we used a handheld pyrotechnic which was similar to a little lighter with a wheel flint, but made of metal. I would use it to break the ring and free Aladdin from the cave.
Unfortunately the pyro was packed a little too full. As I flicked the wheel mechanism, the top shot off into the audience, narrowly missing them (I have no idea where it went, but no one was harmed). The bottom, a red-hot metal casing, blew out and stuck to my skin. The pyro had exploded in my hand!
I couldn’t see for about 10 seconds and couldn’t hear for another 30 – all in front of 300 audience members. I couldn’t see what the cast did when it exploded, but I’m certain we all jumped with fright – I sure did. When my sight returned, I had to lip read to know when I had to say my line. I remember I said, “Woo! That was a bit unexpected, eh?” And we just carried on as if that was supposed to happen. I didn’t need medical attention, and after the show, the person who had packed the pyro apologised profusely and hugged me. I replied in a whisper: “I can’t hear a word you’re saying.” It could have been worse.
During a previous panto run of Jack and the Beanstalk in Arbroath, we had an “egg gag”, as part of a baking competition skit. I would pop a rubber egg in my mouth, and the dame a real one, the gag being that the dame deliberately breaks the egg in their mouth, the audience hears the crack, then yolk drips out of the dame’s mouth and hilarity ensues. During one performance, we looked down, and the real egg had the biggest streak of bird shit we’d ever seen. The dame bit the bullet (well, egg in this case) and popped it in her mouth regardless. That’s dedication to panto if ever I saw it. I’m in A Christmas Carol in Glasgow this year and thankfully there are no pyrotechnics nor egg eating.
Anna Soden played Dave the Cow in Jack and the Beanstalk at York Theatre Royal, York, in 2023
I was playing opposite my childhood hero, James MacKenzie. He played Raven in CBBC’s Raven, the 00s children’s adventure game show. I was a huge fan. I remember thinking, if you could show me, as a child, that my job is acting next to Raven, with me dressed as a cow, I’d have thought I was in Hollywood! However, before a two-show day, I scalded my hand. I did it on the hot tap while I was trying to steam my voice, essential to survive panto season – pouring a bowl full of boiling water and breathing in the steam to hydrate your vocal cords and maintain your voice. Previously, I had become mildly addicted to throat lozenges. Turns out if you have too many, they can have a laxative effect (I found that out the hard way).
Anyway, I didn’t think the burn on my hand was that bad, but as the show went on, it became excruciating, and I had a panic attack on stage dressed as a cow. Between my scenes, I was lying on the floor of the dressing room in my pants, half-naked human, half cow, having a complete breakdown. I was hysterically crying on the floor, my body didn’t know what to do. The director of the show came in and said, “Do you need the next show off?” I should have said yes, but it’s panto. Adrenaline kicked in, and I got back on stage for the finale to play the trumpet with Raven; the audience had no idea that minutes earlier I had been having a total meltdown.
It turned out the burn wasn’t that bad, and I got nominated for an award by the UK Pantomine Association for playing Dave the Cow in 2024, but I lost out to a nonspeaking goose. You couldn’t make it up.
Ewan Goddard played Peter in Peter Pan at Gordon Craig theatre, Stevenage, in 2016
It was a real marathon, 96 shows in total. A typical Saturday consisted of three shows, with barely 20 minutes between each. At the end of the first show, I would peel off my elaborate green and silver finale costume right down to a sad beige dance belt. I shivered while eating a tuna sandwich, but I could never eat very much, because, as Peter, I flew. In the space of 20 minutes, I had to get back into the complete green Peter costume: first the green tights, then the harness, then I’d make sure I was all “packed in”, then the shorts (which had holes for the harnesses), then the top, cuffs and hat (which I had to pin to my head because of the flying).
Miraculously, I got through without injury, except for the worst chafing of my life from the harness. Not only was it like a corset around my waist, which I had to stay in all day, but to make Peter fly, I had two crew members who controlled the rope. One pulled a rope to make me go up and down, while the other guy goes side to side. As if that wasn’t enough, I performed two sword fights, a spinning pirouette, and sang Defying Gravity in mid-air with only Wendy for company. All while wearing a chafing harness. There was no getting away from it. My skin was so red, it felt like it was on fire!
It was around show 87 that I was close to a complete existential meltdown. I remember dangling in the rafters and being so jealous of the actors who got to sit and walk. Except for Tinkerbell, she was on roller skates. I thought: “I don’t know if I can keep going. Where will I find the physical strength to keep going?” I didn’t have to look far. Tinkerbell, Wendy and the Mermaid saved me. Unlike any other show, in panto, you make these lovely friendships. We banded together and propped each other up to make sure we got through it. The director helped by regularly reminding us that Tinkerbell, Wendy and the Mermaid have the magic of panto. That was a lovely responsibility to have, and it made the chafing, spinning, and exhaustion worth it.
Sadly, the encouragement from my cast members and director did little to alleviate the chafing and redness caused by the harness. I treated that with baths, many many baths! An absolute necessity for post-harness recuperation, with muscle soak bubble bath. The audience never knew just how close to exhaustion and a permanent skin condition I was, and I took great pride in that. I’m excited to play a wicked stepsister this year in Cinderella in Southend, where I can walk and sit comfortably … I hope.
Natalie Law played Princess Amelia in Jack and the Beanstalk at Broxbourne Civic Hall, Hertfordshire, in 2014
Looking back, I don’t know how I survived it. After a punishing five-week, three-show-a-day run, we were close to the end, I knew I had a water infection. At 1am, I got so ill that Charlie Dimmock, who was playing the organic fairy godmother, had to drive me to an out-of-hours clinic for me to get medicated. I managed to get through to the last show, but the antibiotics had not worked. I knew this because I was in agony and, in between scenes, was going off stage to vomit, then returning to the stage to perform dance numbers, sing solos, and, of course, get locked in a cage by the angry giant. After the final show, I went with my boyfriend, not Charlie Dimmock this time sadly, straight to A&E because it had turned out to be a full-blown kidney infection. The audience was none the wiser. I chose to keep going because I love show business so much ... apparently!
Luke Adamson played Chester the Jester in Sleeping Beauty at Hoxton Hall, London, in 2021
I have received many injuries in the line of duty as a panto actor. Hoxton Hall is a lovely venue, but because it’s old the door frames are pretty low. The exit from the stage was down a steep, curving staircase and through one of these doors. I was charging off to do my quick change into the costume for the walk down (when actors return to the stage for their bow and applause), and the top of my head collided, quite forcefully, with the top of the door frame. I was able to complete the change and get back on for the walk down, but then I suddenly saw seven different audiences. After the show, I collapsed in a chair in the dressing room, and by that evening, I was in the hospital with a concussion. With a few changes to my track, I still made it on the following day.
Then, during Jack and the Beanstalk at Hartlepool town hall in 2022, I broke my rib by falling on to my elbow during a slosh scene, which is an extended comedy-slapstick scene, featuring soap, water, slime, or foam, and lots of mess. In our show, we used “cream” for our slosh scene because we were baking a big cake for the giant and putting the cream on the sponge. The joke was that I ended up in the middle of the cake tiers, covered in cream. I was supposed to fall on to the sponge and then have a load of cream poured on to me, followed by the second sponge. One performance I didn’t quite land right, and I ended up with my arm tucked into my body, my whole weight coming down on it. Followed by a lot of cream!
This year, I’m Beryl, the ugly sister in Cinderella at Loughborough Town Hall Theatre. Luckily, I’m injury-free so far ...
Charlie Barnes, stage door supervisor on Cinderella at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford, 2017
It’s not just the actors who suffer during panto season. At the end of Act One, Cinderella is transformed before attending the ball. The pumpkin was changed into a carriage, and the mice turned into shetland ponies. Actual real-life shetland ponies! They were brought in from a horse box outside in the dock, through the stage door and on to the stage for five minutes. The audience went mad for them. However, as cute as the miniature ponies were, I sadly had to clean their poop off the stairs twice a day for a month before everyone stampeded through it at the interval. And you would presume that miniature ponies would do miniature poops. Nope! They were still regular-sized horse poops. Strangely, never once did they poop on stage; they always waited for me backstage, ready with the shovel. Not the most glamorous of jobs but it was definitely worth it for the kids’ reactions. Merry Christmas, one and all!
Stewart McCheyne, played Peter Pan in Peter Pan at Motherwell Civic Centre, Motherwell, 2016
This year I’m Mervin the Magician in Sleeping Beauty at the Assembly Hall theatre in Tunbridge Wells. But years ago I was playing Peter Pan and had lots of flying to do. Which of course comes with potential problems: getting caught on lighting rigging, parts of the set etc. One day, after defeating Captain Hook, I sung my celebration song, then me and the lost boys (six small children) had to run through the left aisle of the audience giving people high fives. I was then to exit the theatre, walk through the foyer and come back down the right aisle.
Now, at the back of the theatre was a set of double doors and then a stairwell. I opened the doors, lost my footing and fell down the stairs. I had my lost boys behind me asking if I was OK. I sort of just smiled and said I was. I pulled myself up the stairs but realised I couldn’t put much weight on my ankle. I then hobbled back through the audience singing When I Grow Up from Matilda. I finally got on stage and was attached to the flying rig again. I was hoisted up in the air ready to say goodbye to Wendy and the gang. I remember the look on Wendy’s face. She had her back to the audience and was looking up at me as she mouthed “your knee”. That’s when I noticed all the blood running down my leg: I was just dangling up in the air dripping like a big floating teabag!
The nurses in the hospital were all very excited to see me – most of them had been to see the panto the previous week on a work night out.
