What age for local panto?

[Georgeoliver]

Hi my ds is always saying how he would like to be on stage after watching a few shows and doing a performance himself in the past. I have been told by you guys to look for local panto auditions in the local paper but have not found anything
How else can I find out about local panto auditions and do you know how young they can audition? My ds is 7 in may

[islandofsodor]

It depends on thre production company.

Most of our local pantos say you have to be 8. I think it is becasue they can do more performances from age 8 but in the past First Family have put from age 6. Never knew any 6 year olds who were selected though.

[Georgeoliver]

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like he will have to keep up the drama and wait a little longer

[paulears]

There's no set policy - much depends on what the Director wants. Sometimes they will want younger kids because the plot suggests younger works. Keep in mind that it's also very common for the kids to be the responsibility of a local dance school, who may well encourage 'outsiders' if they don't have enough of their own. Usually this means boys, because they are always short of boys - and if there is an age requirement or height requirement, then they might need to go outside. Our show over last Christmas meant we had younger kids, who despite being keen, don't always really understand what's going on - and I get dragged in by the chaperones more frequently with younger kids to tell them off, when the chaperones are having no luck. Often just enthusiasm really, but the younger ones get so excited that they can get out of control almost and it can actually start to get dangerous. They get so engrossed that they forget to move for the scenery about to move, a cloth about to come in or simply forget to move because the adult dancers are suddenly going to get legs. A few close calls where a dancer has to suddenly reign in their legs because there's a child standing there glassy eyed can be quite scary. By the time they're 8, this kind of thing gets better. The trouble is that sometimes setting entry by age produces big kids, who look older, but don't act like it.

It's fairly common for me to have to tick them off for chronic over-acting, and I had to smile this year because one of the really young tiny ones had learned everyone's lines and couldn't help mouthing them, which really pulls the audience to her instead of the principals. So I ended up having to tell her to stand still and keep her mouth shut! You can't reason with a six year old, I have discovered.

Our request for 6 year olds was, on balance a poor request. The kids were great, but too young. They were also not as good at dancing as 8 year olds, meaning the choreographer could not teach them some of the planned routines, and the dance school had to continually rehearse to stop some sections becoming shambles.

The Director wants cute, but also wants quality and at six, I'm not sure you can have both.

[islandofsodor]

What you need is my 8 year old ds who is about the size of a 4/5 year old!!!

Pity he won't audition although after seeing the panto three times this year (dd was in it) and going up for the song sheet and dancing on stage for that who knows for next year!!!!!!!

[Dell71]

It varies from place to place. In our area it has ranged from age 6 - 7. I have found the panto auditions very very busy with normally (depending on the size of the theatre) between 150 - 350 children auditioning for between 8 - 30 places. They also expect the children, whatever their age, to do every single performance where as the other theatre work my dd has done in the past have cast double for children so she has alternated shows with the 2nd casting.

You could also look for other productions taking place. Normally open auditions are advertised in the local papers but also on the theatre websites or if you sign up to their newsletters on there too. Local theatre groups sometimes cast out to children too if they need them for that production.

Good luck though and I hope you find something.

[Caroline A-C]

Our local theatre use a local stage school and have at least two teams of children - the panto goes on for about five weeks so they have to have a couple of teams. The requirements for the children change annually - presumably it is dependent on what they are playing and the height of the adults.

[Georgeoliver]

Thank you so much for your replys I love this site! Just have to keep looking and hope something comes up!

[Georgeoliver]

Just reading this back my ds did his first panto audition and seemed to love it. They are seeing him again but I'm guessing it wont go much further than that as I can imagine they will be seeing alot of others who are more experienced. We were so proud that he wanted to do it and just went ahead without any nerves! worried now what he may have to do in a second round audition..does anyone have any idea as I would like to prep him a bit but I havn't got a clue

[Dell71]

At a guess if the first round were bulk auditions to whittle them down I would guess the 2nd round will be a lot smaller groups doing possibly the same but where they can watch individuals more closely.

Good luck to your ds

[sophiesocks]

My ds did panto at 5 which was great fun but with hindsight I would have waited till he was older as it really was a lot for him to cope with.

[Georgeoliver]

Arh I was just reading this back. Ds turned 7 yesterday and last week got offered to play Michael in peterpan for the Christmas panto

[sophiesocks]

i think at 7 he would have been a lot more able to cope with his tiredness well done to your ds