Pantomime history essay

Men, however, had played women's roles throughout the history of theatre, as female performers were banned from the stage until after the Restoration in 1660. Pantomime drew on this convention – Samuel Simmons played Mother Goose as early as 1806.

The plays depicted everyday life scenes of craftsmen and villagers. Moreover, they were performed along with music and dancing. After the Romans had conquered Greece, the pantomime appeared in Italy, where it continued its further development.

More change was afoot in pantomime in the 1830s with the rise in the popularity of elaborate scenery and stage effects, and the fairy-tale extravaganzas of James Robinson Planché, starring Lucy Eliza Vestris, first staged at the Olympic Theatre in 1831. Until 1843, theatre licensing had restricted the use of spoken word in performances.

By the early 18th century, Commedia characters began to appear on the London stage in early pantomimes which were based on classical stories, set to music but without speech. Left to right: photolithograph of the actor-manager John Rich as Harlequin, from an etching of 1753, England. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.