AK03: Pantomime casts age-old spell

By ANDY BREW

Back in 1846, before anyone had heard of Gilbert and Sullivan, the British press bellowed that pantomime "had had its day".

But if yesterday's performance of Aladdin at Auckland's Westend Theatre was anything to go by, its future seems bright.

The Auckland Festival show's energetic cast had the audience of young children and parents screaming with laughter and excitement.

The basis of traditional pantomime dates from the Middle Ages, when it was first performed to the British public on village greens.

A mixture of traditional elements and modern trends ensure that the genre is as popular as ever and a visit to the pantomime is often a child's first taste of theatre.

The morale-boosting story lines, the triumph of good over evil, means most come away happy and wanting more.

Pantomime is traditionally performed throughout the Christmas festive season in Britain, to audiences packed to the theatre's rafters.

But, as director Michael Hurst and his cast have proved, even a warm spring afternoon in downtown Auckland can play host to such timeless entertainment.

The festival runs until October 5 with events including theatre, music, comedy and dance.

Organiser Simon Prast said the range of talent performing would be huge.

"It is going to be a city-wide takeover, with over 60 individual events and acts performing."

So far it had attracted an estimated 30,000 people and was set to meet its $1 million box office target.

* Andy Brew is a student journalist at Waiariki Institute of Technology.

* A double booking has delayed the Auckland Festival's public rock-carving display which many turned out to watch at the weekend.

Festival director Simon Prast said the Ahi Kaa Rock Carving event, originally scheduled to start on Saturday, would not start until tomorrow because of a mistaken double booking of the Britomart Place venue.


Herald Feature: Auckland Festival AK03

Auckland Festival website