How Pantomime’s Biggest Stars Steal the Christmas Show

West Midlands : As “He’s behind you!” echoes through theaters across the UK, the most flamboyant character of the festive season is taking center stage: the Pantomime Dame. Part matron, part greengrocer, and entirely over-the-top, the Dame remains one of Christmas’s most beloved and technically demanding roles.

We spoke to four seasoned stars of the stage as they donned their sequins and towering wigs to reveal the “Golden Rules” of playing the Dame.

1. Brash, Bold, and Never a “Shrinking Violet” The consensus among the professionals is clear: subtlety has no place in a panto wardrobe. Sam Rabone and Matt Daines, currently playing the supermarket-inspired sisters “Aldianna” and “Lidleena” at the Lichfield Garrick, insist that a Dame must be “loud, brash, and in your face.”

“We are the people the audience looks forward to,” says Lidleena. “When we leave the stage, they crave for us to come back.”

2. The Bridge Between Generations Dion Davies, appearing as Lucie Goose in Mother Goose at the Hereford Courtyard, highlights the Dame’s unique role as the show’s social glue. While children enjoy the slapstick and bright colors, the Dame provides the “nudge-nudge, wink-wink” humor for the adults.

“The kids have the songs and the colors,” Davies explains, “but the adults get the Dame and a few jokes just for them, which is always nice.”

3. Interactive Warmth In Shropshire, Nick Downes (appearing as Aunty Pru in The Snow Queen) believes the magic lies in the interaction. For Downes, the Dame must be approachable despite the flamboyant exterior. “You have to interact with your audience, make them feel welcome, and make them enjoy the experience of seeing you make a fool of yourself.”

Whether it’s the “daftness” required at the Lichfield Garrick or the “star quality” claimed by Davies in Hereford, the Pantomime Dame remains the heart of the British festive season—proving that sometimes, it takes a man in a dress to make a Christmas story truly go “pear-shaped.”