Mouthpiece

Brian James O’Sullivan (aka Brido Hingwy) sings the praises of that artform known as panto and the role it can play in promoting diversity and inclusion

My first experience of panto was at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow. I was five years old and mesmerised, mainly by Gerard Kelly. I don’t remember much about what he did but I know it was magical, and as the curtain came down, Kelly locked eyes with me and gave me a big thumbs-up. It was just for me, and I’ve never forgotten the glee that small act unlocked in me. You see, I thought he had never done that before. I thought I was his pal, to the exclusion of everyone else in that theatre. From that moment on, I was hooked. I saw as many pantos as I could, but I always returned to the King’s and to Kelly. He was the yardstick against whom I measured all panto experiences.

Years on, working as an actor, my love for panto had not waned, and I tried to bring the spirit of Gerard Kelly’s performances to every production. I even lovingly borrowed his famous neologism, ‘compe-mi-tition’. In one production, I was bold enough to presume I could write, direct, compose and musically direct the panto, and I thought I’d throw myself into the role of dame, too. Needless to say, this wasn’t panto’s finest hour, but the artform, like Shakespeare, is robust. No amount of mediocre pantos will ever kill the medium: it survives much worse onslaughts up and down the country, year on year, in productions which may as well remain nameless. Panto audiences are the best in the business. Houses packed full of families and friends, all ready for a laugh. They know the deal, from years of experience, and even if they don’t, a good panto will hold their hand and show them the way, so that by the end, even newcomers will be on their feet, singing and dancing, booing the baddie and cheering the goodie.

Done properly, a panto deftly weaves its spell to appear broad, simple and even naive, when in fact it is anything but. A great panto is subtle, complex and nuanced, creating humour for all ages, stories for people from all backgrounds, and music that sets every toe tapping. There’s no doubt that Scotland leads the way in pushing the boundaries of what panto can be and producing the most up-to-the-minute productions out there, with an increasing number of opportunities for actors of colour, chances to have the space to question gender roles, and to ask what messages our fairytales really have for us. Scottish panto won’t shy away from completely revising a narrative to present a better, more inclusive message for its audiences.

This year I have the honour of playing Maw Goose in Stirling, in a production which (perhaps for the first time in a major panto) counts a disabled actor among its leading cast. Panto is the place where diversity and inclusion should be front and centre because it’s where theatre’s biggest and most diverse audience is. Finally, people from all backgrounds get to see themselves represented on our stages. Panto holds onto tradition and moves with the times. The rest is . . . behind us.

Brido Hingwy stars as Maw Goose at Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling, until Saturday 31 December.