Panto

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pæn.təʊ/

Definitions

1. A theatrical genre typically intended for a young audience that features singing, acting, and comedic storytelling elements
2. A form of entertainment that blends music and humor while often involving familiar fairy tales and audience interaction
3. A style of theatrical performance aimed mainly at children that combines music, humor, and interactive storytelling elements derived from classic tales

Etymology: Before it was a Christmas pantomime with a panto dame and a booing audience, the root of "panto" was a Greek performer who could imitate anything. "Pantomimos" combined "pas," meaning "all" or "each," with "mimeisthai," meaning "to mimic," so the original idea was a performer who mimed every character and story without speaking. The Roman "pantomimus" was a solo dancer-actor who told myths through gesture, accompanied by music, and that sense of wordless storytelling carried into English around 1606. Over the following centuries the word shifted toward the stage entertainment we know now, and in the 19th century British theatre developed a distinct form with songs, slapstick and audience participation. "Panto" is simply a clipped form of "pantomime," shortened in everyday speech. The verb "to pantomime," meaning to act out without words, first appears around 1768, which means the verb arrived in English well after the noun had already settled into the theatre.

Synonyms: pantomime, play, performance, show, theater