Old-fashioned?

WITH children watching 3D movies, playing on XBoxes, iPads and Nintendos, not to mention being captivated by the hysteria of The X Factor and other reality shows, going to a pantomime over the Christmas holidays may seem old fashioned.

After all, it’s what their parents did back in the old days when there was no instant messaging or any of the technological wizardry that today’s children take for granted. But pantomime is an enduring tradition and today’s stage producers are all too aware of the competing demands for children’s attention. Special effects are par for the course. But respect for the pantomime tradition remains even if it sometimes seems to get lost amid the sophistication of the mind-blowing stage effects.

We talk to the key people behind four top pantos this season about finding the right balance between engaging storyline and compelling special effects.