Pantomime is now tradtionally thought of as Christmas or seasonal entertainment, but it hasn't always been that way. What we now think of as a real seasonal entertainment treat owes its origins to the ancient Italian art form of Commedia Del Arte, which was a summer show often performed at the end of the pier. Over time, Commedia Del Arte evolved into the more sophisticated Pierrot shows, sometimes known in a more anglicised version as Harlequinade, and it is from here that we get the traditional cross dressing we associate with panto, a man dressed as a ludicrous female comedy figure and a shapely female dressed as the dashing hero.

The simplistic good vs bad plotlines originate from here too, and we can see them echoed in other old children's entertainments which still survive today such as Punch and Judy. Above all, pantomime should engage its audience; the fight for what is good and right should be to the fore, and the audience should be encouraged to champion the hero and thwart the villain at every turn.