Pantomimes have long been associated with the festive period. Its roots can be traced back to the 16th century Italian ‘Commedia dell'Arte’, but it was during the Victorian era that pantomime started to develop the features which would turn it into the beloved Christmas tradition that it is today.
A popular pantomime that has been performed since at least 1814 is Dick Whittington. The story is loosely based on the life of Richard Whittington who was a merchant during the 14th century. As a poor boy from Gloucestershire, he moved to London where he made his fortune and would eventually be Lord Mayor of London four times.
The Royal Berkshire Archives hold records from Wokingham Theatre’s production of this pantomime from 1963, including some lovely watercolour costume designs by M Browning (document reference: D/EX2083/2/3/2).
Here is the hero, Dick Whittington, alongside his heroine, Alice. Details in this design for Dick include his trusty cat (arguably the real hero of the story), a milestone to London, and his ubiquitous pack. In this production the character was portrayed by a woman, a common feature of pantomime.
As is often the case, Alice Fitzwarren did not get much stage time in this production. Nonetheless she provides the heart of the play as the motivation for the hero and is instrumental in getting him a job with her father.
Alderman Fitzwarren (left) is Alice’s father and brief employer of Dick. A rather foolish character, his primary concerns are his business and how to marry off his daughter without a dowry. Idle Jack (right) is one of the villains of the piece stealing from Fitzwarren and framing Dick for it. He is also an unwanted suitor of Alice but is ultimately redeemed by Dick’s kindness and confesses his crimes. He is best man at their wedding and Dick sets him up in his own business.
This version of Dick Whittington included two staple pantomime roles: the Fairy Queen (or good fairy - left) and the Dame (right). The Fairy Queen guides the audience through the play; she gives the prologue and part of the finale (although the closing words are saved for Dick). She saves Dick on various occasions and steers the play to its happy ending.
The Dame, or Clara in this play, is the cook and housekeeper in the Fitzwarren home. Later, after Dick is dismissed for stealing, they follow him on his adventures to make sure he returns home safe to Alice. As is customary, they also provide the comedic focus of the show and is the character involved in the classic ‘it’s behind you’ scene. The slapstick comedy and chase scenes this character partakes in is the successor of the original 18th century Harlequinade.
Notable designs that are missing are for Dick Whittington’s cat, who earns Dick’s fortune by killing 2691 rats in the Sultan’s cellars after Dick, Cat and the Dame have been shipwrecked and end up in Morocco; and the main villain, King Rat. The archives do hold photographs of the performance showing what King Rat’s costume looked like but unfortunately researchers have to imagine the cat.
This performance of Dick Whittington was special for Wokingham Theatre as it was the first production in their new theatre on Norreys Avenue. The construction of the theatre had taken three years, but they eventually opened with this performance of Dick Whittington in January 1963. The Fairy Queen references both the time of year and the new theatre in her opening prologue:
‘Now Christmas is gone, the food (I hope) digested,
The tree stands bare, of ornaments divested,
And now, to spread the New Year on its way…
In this New Theatre, long ago begun,
But only now complete, we’ve lots of fun
To keep you happy through the coming year
And bring alive once more our Xmas cheer.’
This quotation comes from the full script of the play which is held in the archive. This, along with the costume designs and photographs, means it is possible to enjoy a version of the play without a time machine to take you back to 1963 to watch the performance. So next time you are looking for a pantomime experience, consider a trip to the local archive!
Learn more about the history of pantomime on the Victoria and Albert Museum website.