Guest Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 My niece is 2 so too young to take her to a panto yet but I'm dying to take her and just wanted to know how many more years I have to wait! I'm guessing about age 6 or 7 is about right? Is that about right or still a bit young? Also, does anyone have an older child we can borrow so we can go to the panto? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I have had the same problem. On checking all our local pantos they don't seem to admit children under the age of three My grandson is three in January so I'm going to sneak him in and just hope he enjoys it, and behaves himself You don't need children to go and see a panto Poet, just go and enjoy. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 My youngest is 4 and I think he would be old enough to a) sit through it and b) appreciate it! We are going to try one in the new year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I would say 4 or 5 is probably old enough - however as already said you don't have to have a child to go. Our youngest son (14) is in the church pantomime group and they do a great show - last year, I went on my own one night so that he had somebody watching him and still joined in. .........Oh yes I did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I would say 4 too. Ds2 at 3 would have been fine ds1 wouldnt and I doubt dd would either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 We started at about age four for 'proper' shows. The Leeds City Varieties has a few shows every year designed especially for tinies, our son really enjoyed them at three or so - they were short and designed to appeal to little ones. One of his favourites was 'Circus Hilarious' which tours the country, and has lots of circus acts, water and foam thrown around, great fun for little ones and their grown ups too. Failing that, I have a 7 year old and a nine year old you could borrow any time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eeyoreshunny Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 youngest DD is going tomorrow with nanny and grandad for the first time and she's 3 ( 4 in Feb) the other 2 were both about the same age and they were fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Sorry gang but please think before you drag these poor children to panto. I hate panto. For years my aunty and uncle dragged me to panto in Liverpool. I hated it with a vengeance. I loathed it. I told my parents but every year a ticket was bought for me. Was I such a hateful child that my parents used this as a yearly form of torture? I don't think so. I asked my Dad recently what it was that I did to upset him when I was younger that caused this ritual cruelty. He laughed and said that my aunty always bought a ticket so that I could keep my cousin company. Don't do this to your children. Oh no you shouldn't..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 We are taking out 2 this year. E is 4 and H is not quite 2. They have both been to the theatre before for children's performances and have been fine. If the worst comes to the worst I'll take H out as I'm not bothered about seeing it. If I thought they wouldn't like it I wouldn't take them. It's far too expensive to use as a form of torture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 hmmmm, at the moment she only sits still when 'In the night garden' is on so as soon as her attention span gets a bit longer we'll take her I think she might be a bit small to see the stage at the moment too can't wait to take her to stuff like that. It's not the same going on your own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Ahh theres the crux. Poet wants to go but needs a child as an excuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 At least somebody could have said... Oh yes we should. Seriously, I don't mind panto so much since I've got older but I hated it as a kid for some strange reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 My mum & dad went to see Tommy Steele in a panto in London on their honeymoon- on their own, of course I didn't arrive till a couple of years later Poet you can borrow my children ( & me!) if you like x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 We love going to see the panto - usually go on Christmas Eve but OH forgot to book it in time. ES and DD most upset not to be going this year I think sometime it can be very scary for really little ones as the wicked element of the panto can be really wicked sometimes and also there are usually lots of bangs. The amoutn of screaming children we've had in the last few years - poor little things. My sister took my nephew when he was two, they were in the row behind us and he didn't sit still the whole time. I think it was quite stressful for them. As soon as the leaflet comes through the door for next year I'm booking it - oh yes I am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Bron, I understand completely. When I was a child, there were some friends of my grandmother who insisted on taking me to an annual panto. I quite enjoyed the show, but found them uneasy company - they weren't people I saw often and I didn't know them well. When I was nine or so they decided I was too old for panto and booked Gilbert and Sullivan operettas instead, which was their own enthusiasm and in their wisdom they thought I should enjoy it too. That was torture. Well-intentioned, but torture. I was reprieved when I got to be a teenager and they realised I wasn't that interested any more - then my younger sister was taken instead ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Him Indoors and BIL take the respective "children"......ages ranging from 29 down to 19 to the Panto always on the first Sunday after Christmas. Me and sis hit the sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I think sometime it can be very scary for really little ones as the wicked element of the panto can be really wicked sometimes and also there are usually lots of bangs. The amoutn of screaming children we've had in the last few years - poor little things. It occured to me that a nearly 3 year old might get scared and start crying a fidgety child I could deal with, not sure about a terrified one might have to phone the theatre and ask them how scary it is. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassett Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 My OH's work organised a panto for all employee's children and DS(5) burst into tears during the very first scene of Dick Whittington, because the Rat Queen was very convincingly scary!!!! - He insisted on leaving the show immediately and missed it all!! However DD has been enjoying pantos since the age of 3 and loves them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 We're off to see Cinderella. I guess the baddie would be the ugly sisters and the step mother? They can't be that bad. Can they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hens@HalfMoonLane Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I went to see Aladdin in Leeds a couple of weeks ago with my son who will be 3 in January - he loved it - he's still talking about it now. I thought he would get bored and we would have to leave early, maybe even after 10 mins. It went on (and it did!) for about 2 hours and he was engaged the whole way through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I went to my first ever panto a couple of weeks ago....(I didn't grow up in a cave on a remote windswept island, honest!). So I would say, 35 is about old enough to appreicate it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I went to my first ever panto a couple of weeks ago....(I didn't grow up in a cave on a remote windswept island, honest!). So I would say, 35 is about old enough to appreicate it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cam1 Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Have to say both of my kiddies have been each year to the panto with us since they were around 6 weeks old! They have been each year since (now 3 and and both enjoy it. My 3 yr old went up on the stage tis year when the call for "helpers" went out she went up to join her 5 yr old cousin and was very impressed with her bag of sweets! Have to say it is a smallish (approx 150-200 seater theatre and my brother in law quite often is one of the "luvvies" on the stage! Cam mya velma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Well we took the girls on Boxing day and they both loved it. The actual show notincluding the break was 2hrs 10 and both girls were perfectly behaved. As H is only 21 months I was so impressed, she behaved much better than the 2 older boys behind us . We enjoyed it so much that we booked today to see Jack & the Beanstalk next year. Think we were the first to book because we've got front row seats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..lay a little egg for me Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I would say 4 or 5 is probably old enough Oh no it isn't... (Sorry...just had to do it ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
