Surprise Panto

I had a lovely surprise yesterday when D. called to say she had an extra ticket for a panto. Her partner was unwell and couldn’t go, so I became the beneficiary of a spare ticket.

We saw The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the Lyceum. I enjoyed this, especially the witch who was extra evil and the great set which snowed and hid the spooky tree spirits.

There’s a trailer at this link.
http://www.lyceum.org.uk/

The Artists Way Graduate group, who I had dinner with on Friday would have approved this spontaneous, perhaps even synchronous occurrence. But also because it ticked a wee unticked box in my life. I have never been to a pantomime, ever, really, ever. And although this was not the slapstick auld men as dames and thigh slapping principal 'boy' type panto, I think it fitted the bill.

The thing about this is that I realised I have not read the Narnia books. I read my way through all sorts of children's literature at the appropriate age, but for some reason in amongst Treasure Island, Swiss Family Robinson and assorted Anne of Green Gables, Little Women etc, etc, Narnia was missed out.

I told D this (she was already feeling a bit sorry for my neglected non-panto-going childhood) and she wondered afterwards if I was now tempted to read CS Lewis. Nope! Life's too short to read all the adult fiction I want to so there is no way to fit in kids stuff.

On the sad little panto-less childhood, I think by the time I was middle aged, I realised that if I hadn't bestirred myself to go to a panto (of the type described above), by that stage, then I really wasn't feeling any lack.

I would have taken my daughter to the traditional panto but the not-my-mother grandmother always took her and I wasn't invited to go along. I do hope that sounds sufficiently snarky!