Ok Nadine, here we go...
The pantos you remember from your idealised childhood were local productions.
Many of them were produced by locally owned and managed theatres or by municipal theatres funded by local authorities.
The pantos you remember from your idealised childhood were local productions.
Many of them were produced by locally owned and managed theatres or by municipal theatres funded by local authorities.
Many of these municipal theatres experienced big funding cuts in the 80s, because the Conservative government was a group of heartless Philistines hell-bent on stripping civic pride and identity from working class communities.
At the same time, market pressures emanating from London encouraged the buy-up of local theatres.
They organised into corporate groups to achieve economies of scale.
These theatres cut back on producing and became touring houses.
They organised into corporate groups to achieve economies of scale.
These theatres cut back on producing and became touring houses.
In this environment panto remained an important money-maker, but without in-house production expertise the creation and production of panto was outsourced to production companies, again with national scale.
So the "local traditions" of panto went out in favour of a more production line approach.
Each panto is created and cast to a national pattern. The same as happened with regional commercial radio.
Panto = standard script, a local DJ, one or two soap actors, etc
Each panto is created and cast to a national pattern. The same as happened with regional commercial radio.
Panto = standard script, a local DJ, one or two soap actors, etc
You may think panto lacks nuance, but it's not political correctness or snowflakes.
It's neoliberal capitalism producing what it does best: a standard product at scale, at the minimum quality level the market will tolerate.
It's neoliberal capitalism producing what it does best: a standard product at scale, at the minimum quality level the market will tolerate.
It's too much to expect Nadine Dorries to think before she speaks.
The kindest way of describing her is a Poundland demagogue.
But if anyone ruined the traditional panto she claims to love, it was her own party's policies.
The kindest way of describing her is a Poundland demagogue.
But if anyone ruined the traditional panto she claims to love, it was her own party's policies.
