Theatre
Psychorll
PANTO DISPLAYS HUMANKIND
IN ITS WORST POSSIBLE MORAL AND SOCIAL LIGHT
Theatre editor Steve Cramer runs a wary eye over this year’s most popular pantos, with a view to uncovering some deep seated neuroses.
ell. we‘ye only ourselyes to blame. If we. as
adttlts. persist in dragging our children
along to pantos and (‘hristmas shows. what grounds do we haye to complain that they turn out to be twisted and yiolent'.’ The stories themselves seem to display an unparalleled capacity to display humankind in its worst possible moral and social light. A glance down the list of pantos on offer this season only set‘yes to confirm our desire to giye the kids a rough start in life.
The most popular this year seems to be (TlH/(‘l't’l/(l. with four productions that I know of. ()riginating from (‘hina in the 9th Century. the original title could roughly he translated as The (iirl it‘ll/l I/It’ Smallest
I'm in I/It’ Land. Stnall feet were seen as a sign of
beauty in (‘hina at the time. perhaps the reason for the painful practice of foot binding. which becatne an emblem of female oppression oyer subsequent centuries. I’ve seen many productions of this grim tale down the years. bttt the one that still sears my tnemory occurred some years back. featuring a petite. pretty and ineyilably blonde (‘inderella with the biggest pair of feel he eycr seen on a girl.
One only noticed this in the glass slipper scene. where. extending her leg for the Prince‘s glass slipper. ('inders appeared to be wearing not so much a shoe as the box it came in. The slippers themselves had clearly been designed for her: each might haye pt'oyed a spacious home for any number of goldfish. but our
prince still yisibly struggled to get them on to her
ruddy great plates. It would be nice to think that this piece of casting was a liberating gesture against patriarchal oppression. but the story seems to haye a deleterious effect on young girls for all that.
So much so. that two psychological conditions haye
80 THE LIST Na. 1.: Zia-v
been natned after the story. The (‘inderella Complex. sortie psychiatrists hold. creates passiye aggressiye attitudes in girls. leading them to behaye in a continuously helpless manner. seeking help from other folk. usually male. in the simplest of tasks. It also leads to exaggerated expectations from life men must be princes. the home should be a castle. and so forth. When the ineyitable financial and emotional realities of life surface the result is collapse. Those who are able to indulge in the fantasy are eyen worse. Look at Jordan's wedding. which must haye occupied a massiye amount of man hours for an entire taste police task force.
The (‘inderella Syndrome on the other hand. a condition identified by psychologists. secs children accuse step parents of all sorts of misdemeanour and persecution. New mothers get treated to the allegations that Max/aratti made to Zidane. frequently with similarly unfortunate results. Quite aside from this. I suppose these days. the central symbol of the slipper will only add to these young girls acquiring the insatiable appetite for shoes so characteristic of their elder sisters.
The other biggy this season is .-I/(lr/(/lll. with another four productions. l‘ye yet to see a post colonial reading of this text on stage. and with .lack the lad Straw seeking to peek under the yeilsss. like the protagonist of this story. of Islamic princesses. we‘re unlikely to see one. With the authorities seeking to impose a dress code to being British. one hopes. bttt against hope. that this tale of Syrian origin will open a few eyes. Let’s wait and see.
See listings for a panto or Christmas show near you. Reviews next issue.
Hit
THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
alt Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Adrian Noble's theatre version of lan Fleming‘s at times slightly disturbing children’s story was born in controversy but went on to triumph. After a few years selling out the West End, this is Scotland’s first chance to see what all the fuss is about. Playhouse, Edinburgh,
Sat 2 Dec—Sat 24 Feb
at Pinocchio The Lyceum's Christmas Show this year sees the return of the little wooden boy with prime ministerial tendencies. A study of growing up, being old. and why we shouldn’t tell porkies. this piece looks set to delight once more. Royal Lyceum Theatre. Edinburgh, Fri 7—Sat 30 Dec
* Hansel and Gretel Andy Arnold’s outfit have produced some spellbinding Christmas shows over the last three years. using the enclosed spaces of the old railway Arches to good effect for young and old. This year’s tale of the two little tearaways with witch trouble looks like continuing the tradition.
The Arches, Glasgow,
Thu 7 Dec-Sal 7 Jan
33 Cinderella Ashley Page's new piece for Scottish Ballet looks like capturing the combination of tradition and innovation that has characterised his time at the helm of the company. This time the full length ballet should delight adults and children alike.
Theatre Royal, Glasgow,
Sat 9—Sal 30 Dec
* Cinderella Andy Gray, Allan Stewart and Grant Stott are back with this year’s King’s panto. These old stagers are bound to delight in the the tale of Cinders. the fairy and the grand ball.
King ’3 Theatre, Edinburgh,
Sat 2 Dec-Sun 21 Jan