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Put on a Pantomime for neighbours, friends or family
Christmas is a great time of the year for putting on some sort of show, because everyone is in the mood for fun and doing a PANTOMIME will certainly be that! Pantomimes take a traditional or 'fairy story' like Cinderella and turn them into amusing plays. Usually, the actors say their words in ryhme. This makes them quite easy to learn so even 4 or 5 year olds can have a small 'speaking part'.
To start with, count up how many children you have who want to join in the pantomime. If you're a bit short on numbers, you can include some adults who will probably be quite keen to join in as long as they don't have a lot to say or do. They can sit and watch most of the performance and just join in when they're needed. You can do a pantomime with just a few children if you prefer, but you'll have to chose a story which doesn't have a lot of characters in it. Three Billy Goats Gruff for example just has the three goats and the Truly Terrible Troll. It's also very easy to do- by the time you get to the third billy-goat he should have no problem remembering his lines! The three pigs and the Big Bad Wolf is also great fun and easy to do for four children.
If your problem is trying to include loads of kids (the human kind!) you could have an 'usher' to show people to their seats (which could be on the floor-adults will appreciate cushions!) and sell ice creams/sweets-you could make these yourselves. You can have lots of 'extras' as trees-they just need to dress in brown and wave a few pieces of paper cut into leaf shapes and painted green about. It's also nice to include some dances where everybody in the pantomime joins in. If you can't get everyone on the 'stage' area, which will probably just be the end of your sitting-room, they can sit in the audience and join in when they are 'on'. People will also enjoy singing together so try and include some songs which everyone knows as well. If necessary, write the words in huge letters on a big piece of paper and hold it up. Mum permitting, an old sheet can be used for this if you're going in for things in a big way.
One of the nicest things about a pantomime is that it's supposed to make people laugh, so when you get something wrong (it always happens!) or Johnny's wolf mask falls off to reveal he's also playing the wicked witch everyone will think it's the greatest fun. You can have great fun finding and putting together costumes and props (all the other stuff you'll need), deciding which music to have on as the audience come in or during the performance itself, and deciding which jokes the 'compere' will tell during the 'intervals' between sets. A pantomime can be as small and homely or as large and ambitious as you like, it will always be really popular.