Jonathan GeddesGlasgow and west reporter
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Stanley Baxter was one of the many stars to have been a panto regular in Scotland
On a winter’s night, a man dressed in over-the-top women’s clothing takes a pratfall before a packed crowd.
It could be a scene from a pantomime production in 2025, but the footage – part of a new Glasgow exhibition – is nearly 100 years old.
The clips show Scotland’s long-running love affair with panto, from the patter to the pratfalls, and from cries of “he’s behind you” to Ugly Sisters cavorting in the crowd.
Johnny McKnight, a veteran of panto for two decades at both the Tron Theatre in Glasgow and the Macrobert arts centre in Stirling, told BBC Scotland there is no snobbishness about panto in Scotland because “it’s our tradition and there is a pride in that.”
McKnight is treading the boards as a dame again this year.
He believes Scotland approaches panto differently compared to the rest of the UK.
“We never had that Shakespeare tradition, so I’d say music hall and variety is our culture, and panto is probably the child of that.
“Down south you’ve got panto casts that are filled with celebrities off the telly or people that specifically do panto and working men’s clubs – but here, you’ll have someone doing panto then playing Jason in Medea the next month.”
King’s Theatre
Walter Carr and Gregor Fisher are among the names to have appeared in panto, like this production of Sleeping Beauty from 1984
In the 19th century, pantomime grew out of early theatre productions like the commedia dell’arte, a form of traditional Italian stage comedy which dates back another 200 years.
The influence of music hall and variety shows seeped into shows as they went along, and many early panto traditions – from gender flipping roles to custard pies to the face – were present from an early stage.
For Dr Paul Maloney of the University of Glasgow, pantomime developed a strong local identity as the 20th century began.
“What developed over the years was the way they were performed,” he says.
“It’s the language of this working class Glasgow humour and the tenor of traditional Scottish variety shows. They were always a bit subversive, a bit irreverent.
“It’s one of the key elements of pantomime and has always been there since.”
Examples of that can be seen in McKnight’s work. His shows are peppered with Glasgow references, as well as developments in the wider world itself.
“Panto can be reflective of where we are in society,” he says.
“You can be playful, you can work in references to gender and sexuality – and then you can chuck in Kylie songs too.”
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Work was underway on a large prop for a 1930s production
Glasgow itself has arguably loved panto more than any other place. A guide to the city published in the late 1930s mentioned seven different shows taking place at theatres across the city.
Unlike today, when a dame’s wigs are placed into storage come the New Year, shows back then would run into the spring.
“Four of those seven shows were still running in March, so people in Glasgow loved panto, and would be going multiple times”, says Dr Maloney.
“The Glasgow theatre scene was very stratified. At the very top you had the Alhambra and the Theatre Royal, where you could be served tea at the interval, then you had the Princess, for the middle to upper scale and the Metropole – a cheap and cheerful variety house on Stockwell Street doing two pantos a night.
“There was a price for every pocket in a way.”
King’s Theatre
Audience participation is always encouraged, as in this 1980 production
That history is now being celebrated in the City Chambers, with an exhibition running until Christmas Eve.
Originally produced for the research project Pantomime in Scotland: ‘Your other national theatre’, the exhibition has been updated to reflect ways in which pantomime is constantly adapting and evolving.
It also showcases the history of panto and the stars that take the stage.
“In 1905 Howard and Wyndham took a risk and cast a young Scottish comic called Harry Lauder in Aladdin,” says Dr Maloney.
“It was a really elaborate show at the Theatre Royal, and he played Roderick McSwankey, who meant to go to Coatbridge and ends up in Peking as the apprentice to a wizard.
“It was a huge success, partly because he spoke with a Scottish accent. It also made him a huge star, with his name in lights on Hope Street and his songs ended up recorded. It gave him the confidence in 1907 to go to the USA.”
King’s Theatre
For years, Gerard Kelly was a top draw in Glasgow
Tron Theatre
Johnny McKnight has been involved in panto for two decades
Lauder’s success established the trend of big names topping the bill – something that runs through the likes of Stanley Baxter and Gerard Kelly, right up to headliners like Elaine C Smith today.
For McKnight, who got an early break working with legendary actor Tony Roper, there is a long lineage in pantomime he is proud to be part of.
“I remember after the first preview he told me he’d be back in two days for the press night and he wanted new gags and jokes by then, as that was my job. That was something he’d learned from the likes of Rikki Fulton.
“I love that – panto is something that gets passed down the generations.”
King’s Theatre
Panto’s popularity continues to this day, with the likes of Elaine C Smith as headline acts
Dr Maloney believes that generational aspect is partly why panto continues to pack in crowds across Scotland.
“Part of the appeal of pantomime is that it’s multi-generational. It’s maybe the only place you can go, outside of big Lloyd-Webber style musicals, where you go to a packed theatre and there are three or four generations sitting there.
“You’re seeing the same jokes in the same place that your parents and grandparents saw.”
McKnight has another reason for the enduring popularity.
“The great thing is that panto is the perfect show for things going wrong – audiences love it.
“We’ve had fire alarms galore, the wrong songs getting played, songs getting played twice as fast, a cast member choking on a sweetie in the audience. It’s the one show where if things go wrong then audiences love it.
“It feels unique, and special – you can’t get that on TV.”
