How did we get Pantomimes?
They evolved from Commedia dell’Arte became “Harlequinades” that went on to be the roots of the Pantomimes we see today. Today’s Pantomimes are a fusion of eccentricity, ambiguity, and absurdity, which have become a public demonstration of our British identity. How did we get here? Well, it all started back in Italy. Commedia dell’arte, which […]
Did you really enjoy the Hans Andersen Fairy Tales?
As children, our parents read us Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales such as Thumbelina, The Princess and the Pea, and The Little Mermaid, just to mention a few. The problem is they didn’t always have happy endings. For example, in The Red Shoes Karen has her feet cut off to teach her not to be […]
Where did Pantomime come from?
In the History of Pantomime, it is claimed that Pantomime has its roots in ‘Commedia dell’Arte’, a 16th-century Italian entertainment, however, in Roman in 467 BC they had Pantomimus , which was a mime show with a single dancer, it was popular especially with the Roman Emperors. It is has been claimed that Emperor Nero, […]
Santa Claus saves three sisters from Slavery
Santa Claus saves three sisters from Slavery Yes, the first Santa did just that and that is why today we hang up stockings at Christmas! Who was the first Santa? He was the Christian Bishop of Myra, also known as Nicholas of Bari. He was alive sometime around 300BC. Yes, a long time ago. He […]
St Boniface converts Pagans to Christians by cutting down a tree!
This happened in Germany 1300 years ago when St Boniface was trying to convince a group of pagans to become Christians. His problem was that they didn’t believe him, and he realised that he had to do something to convince them. To explain at this time in Northern Europe the people believed that the oak, […]
Where did Aladdin come from?
Originally it comes from the ‘Tales of the Arabian Nights’, but to be different the Pantomime Aladdin is based China. Would you believe that the first recorded performance of a show called Aladdin was as long ago as 1788? Of course, it wasn’t really a pantomime as we know it, however, over time it slowly […]
“Tulip Mania” a Dutch financial crisis
Tulip Mania discussed In the 17th century Holland had the highest per capita income in the world. This was because the Dutch Republic’s economic and financial system was at the time the most advanced and sophisticated ever seen in history. It is called the Dutch Golden Age. However, their sophistication in financial matters had its […]
The 1620s European Financial crisis.
Yes, they even had them in Europe in the 17th Century, they called this one “Tipper and See-Saw Time”, that was the name given to a financial crisis during the start of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). It occurred as the city-states in the Holy Roman Empire began to debase their currency, in order to […]
The Beginning of Pantomime
Let me tell you about the beginning of Pantomime. Pantomime today is a form of comic British theatre but it evolved from many different sources. In Roman times they had mime shows created by a single dancer who was known as Pantomimus which according to the records was performed in 467 BC by a dancer […]
Do your children know the history of the Christmas Tree?
There are many different stories, but by far the most popular the most popular one is the St. Boniface story, and even this one is open to several different endings. The basic story comes from Germany where to convince a group of pagans in Germany, who refused to believe his teachings, St. Boniface cut down […]