Pop songs and sing-a-longs for Cork's 2015 pantos at the Everyman and Cork Opera House

Choosing the right music is essential to the success of any pantomime. Jo Kerrigan speaks to some of the people who make those crucial calls

IT’S that time of year again – oh yes it is! Pantomime may owe its origins to classical drama, Commedia dell’Arte, and rural celebrations like mummers’ plays, but has evolved into a uniquely Irish and British genre, a combination of laughter, music, song, dance, topical jokes, slapstick comedy, fairytale themes, and happy endings.

The word pantomime comes from the Greek and means something mimed rather than spoken: one of its great attractions is that the youngest watcher can easily follow the action and enjoy the story, even if they don’t quite get all the jokes.