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Could NAPMers fill me in on whether children normally get paid for panto? Our local panto is holding open auditions this year (used to be one stage school’s kids only) but the grapevine says they won’t get any fee. They rehearse every day for 2 weeks then perform twice a day (those that are old enough) for the next 2 weeks. DD wants to audition but we would be sooo out of pocket driving her to all these rehearsals and performances. I find it pretty incredible that anyone can expect this when it isn’t an amateur panto. What are your experiences/thoughts?

Hi My DD has done panto with 2 different production teams and hasn't been paid. She has had some comlimentary tickets and a programme I think this is usual practice.

We have been happy with this as DD hadn't had much drama or theatre experience and we saw it almost as free training certainly valuable experience!! It helped that she absolutely loved it.

I can see that if you have had a lot of experience or are older it would feel very different.

I certainly feel that some more thought in making the children /parents feel valued would be good like a complimentary drink /meal vouchers ,tickets, travel expences etc.
I will be Interested to hear about others opinions and experiences?

Seems a bit harsh. Surely they should at least cover expenses for the performance days.

My dd did a panto last year - Boss in Snow White (the head dwarf) It was a reasonable amount of lines, scenes and dances and she performed twice a day, every other day for 2 - 3 weeks. She got a small model of her dwarf, and a signed programme. It cost me a lot as the theatre was 40 mins drive from home, and there were no free tickets for family or friends, and all meals had to be paid for in full between shows. The dancers however, who were over 16, were paid a nominal amount.

However, she absolutely loved it, and gained a lot of experience having never been in a professional show before. I did feel that the chaperones (myself included) probably deserved some monetary reward for all the time we gave up to sit backstage/ do make up/ put on mikes etc.

My DS played Michael in Peter Pan and got paid £25 a week and the following year he was a babe and got paid £5 a week. This was a few years ago with a group that used to supply a number of local theatres. When the same production company did panto using another local group the children didn't get paid but the mum's chaperoning got expenses.

DS has also performed with Royal Ballet and they only paid your expenses in getting to and from Opera House.

Have to admit we didn't expect to get paid and it did cause a few problems when he got paid more for being Michael.

Thank you very much for all your answers. Seems like it is pretty usual not to get anything other than a souvenir programme or similar. Basically its a case of doing it for the experience then. Have worked out it would cost us £80-100 per week in fuel......for 4 weeks Is the experience worth that kind of cost ?????

The children just love it so much. I know its expensive but they do gain alot from these productions. My dd worked on Doctor Do Little with Tommy Steel, for 2 weeks and not a penny, didnt even give them lunch. Good luck if you can afford it then go for it, but I do know how you feel.

my dd has done five pantos,three she recieved nothing but a party at the end,one she got expenses and free lovely meal a day.The one she did last year she got paid,but not as much as adult cast.
She loved every minute,and were local so wasn't loosing out.

Ds has done a number of pantos each in a different town, each with a different company.....story is still the same - bags of fun, loads of experience and occasionally money off the car park ticket!

Thanks also bruno, GR and flipside . You have all reassured me that it could still be worth dd going for. Lovely to hear how much your dds have got out of the experience

I promised my 9 year old dd I would post on here that SHE GOT THROUGH THE AUDITION . That's her dancing NOT me - her friend in the village didn't get through so we will be stuck doing all the driving ourselves . Lucky I've got a lot of holiday left to take this year Anyway Congratulations to my dd: her first ever audition

Meant to ask; if anyone reading this happens to know how many performances a week a ten year old is allowed to do?

Mine have never been paid for Panto really...few pounds meal allowance maybe...xx

well done to your dd. you should get the performance scedule out soon they are normally pretty fast at this. dependong on how many teams there are but usually about 3 to 4 performances a week.

oliveral wrote:Mine have never been paid for Panto really...few pounds meal allowance maybe...xx

Thanks oliveral. I'm resigned to a free T shirt and programme now

Thanks for that steffysmum. Really helpful