Playing a pantomime dame - notes and some extra vocabulary
Curtain-up and curtain-down. Actors speak of having 5 minutes before curtain-up or meeting someone after the show - after curtain-down.
a curtain call - the appearance of one or more performers at the end of a performance to acknowledge the audience's applause showing their enjoyment
to put make-up on here = to put stage make-up on. It used to be called 'greasepaint' because it contained a large amount of animal fat - grease.
Trinny and Susannah 'Aren't we gorgeous?' - this is typical of the topical sort of reference made during a pantomime. These two women had a series of programmes on TV giving women makeovers.
To get away with something - means you can do things you wouldn't usually do and not be cricitised, blamed or punished.
The pantomime cow is another standard part of pantomimes - but the word 'cow' is used to be derogatory about a women.
To have a licence to do - to be permitted to
backstage - adv - in or to the area behind the stage in a theatre - adj - of or relating to the area behind the stage in a theatre
at the side of the stage = in the wings
If actors forget their lines the person who reminds them of them (called the prompter) usually sits in the wings.
come out of character = stop acting and be one's normal self
To suffer from / have / get stage fright - to suffer from nervousness, be or get nervous before or during a play or show of any kind.
stage left - is on the left-hand side of the stage from the point of view of the actor on stage - so to the right from the audience's point of view.
Enter stage left; exit stage right - to go / come on stage from the left side (right for the people watching!)- to go / come off stage on the right (left for the people front-of-house!)
A stagehand is a person who helps with the scenery or props during a play or show.
props - portable objects used on the set of a play or film
a dresser looks after theatrical costumes and helps actors dress and undress, particularly when they have quick costume-changes.
Theatre costumes are kept in the wardrobe; the person in charge of this is the wardrobe mistress.Often the function becomes the person - a producer will tell an actor to 'see wardrobe' and it means the people in charge of the wardrobe.
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