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w关键词：pantomime/哑剧，Grimaldi，England/英格兰 |
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w目录：Culture/文化 |
w话题：
圣诞节，戏剧 |
w类型：说明文 |
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w难度级别：
初级 |
w词汇要求：1000- |
w文章词数：350 |
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[ 生 词 可 拖 选 或 双 击 ] |
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Pantomimes are based on folk stories or fairy tales
like Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk
or Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. |
Pantomimes
圣诞节哑剧
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作者：BBC Takeaway English |
来源：english.enorth.com.cn |
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日期：2008-03-09 |
责编：Emma |
In winter in Britain, many children and adults enjoy
going to the theatre to watch a pantomime. Pantomimes are a very old form of
entertainment, but the modern version is as popular as ever.
Pantomimes today originate from a type of light, popular, comedy play from 16th
Century Italy. Some aspects of modern pantomime date from this time, for example
having stock characters who appear in different stories.
Pantomimes started to be performed in England in the 17th Century, and it was
here that the comedy developed into slapstick - a clownish, physical comedy
characterised by people falling over or fighting in a silly way.
In the 19th Century, Grimaldi, a famous clown, introduced the tradition of
audience participation, a very important aspect of modern pantomime. He
established catch phrases, which the audience would respond to by shouting a
known response.
There are two very well-known catch phrases in modern British pantomime. The
first is that a character will pretend not to see his enemy and ask the audience
where he is. The audience shout out ‘Look behind you!’ The second is where a
character pretends to have an argument with the audience using phrases like ‘Oh
yes I did’ and ‘Oh no you didn’t!’
Pantomimes are based on folk stories or fairy tales like Cinderella, Jack and
the Beanstalk or Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The performances often
include songs or music.
There are two stock characters who feature in almost every pantomime. The first
is the pantomime dame, an older woman such as an aunt, usually played by a man.
She usually has an outrageous costume and a bawdy sense of humour.
In addition, there is often a male character played by a young woman, called the
principal boy. This is usually the hero of the story. The fact that actors are
playing roles of the wrong gender is part of the joke.
Often, celebrities from the world of TV or pop music take leading roles in
pantomimes, or ‘pantos’. You will find a pantomime in almost every theatre in
Britain in wintertime…‘Oh yes you will!’
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