pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

, a principal boy role is the young male protagonist of the play, traditionally played by a young

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

in boy's clothes. The earliest example is Miss Ellington who in 1852 appeared in ''The Good Woman in the Wood'' by

James Planché James Robinson Planché (27 February 1796 – 30 May 1880) was a British dramatist, antiquary and officer of arms. Over a period of approximately 60 years he wrote, adapted, or collaborated on 176 plays in a wide range of genres including ...

to the consternation of a reviewer. She was followed by other

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

and

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

entertainers, such as Harriet VernonHoward and Wyndham Limited 1888–1948: 60 Years of Pantomime and Beyond"
/ref> described as "a magnificent creature, who was willing to show her ample figure as generously as the conventional tights and trunks of the day allowed" and thus setting the standard of good legs on display and nominally male costume which emphasized her figure. The tradition grew out of laws restricting the use of child actors in London theatre, and the responsibility carried by such lead roles. A

Breeches role In theater, a breeches role or breeches part (also pants role, pants part, trouser role, trouser part, and Hosenrolle) is a role in which a female actor performs in male clothing. Breeches, tight-fitting knee-length pants, were a standard male ...

was also a rare opportunity for an early 20th-century actress to wear a costume revealing the legs covered only in tights, potentially increasing the size of the audience. The practice of having a female play the principal boy has become less common: it's 'been put down to political correctness, as well as greater knowledge among children about homosexual relationships'. Although not written as a pantomime, '' Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' is often produced as one with the tradition of a female principal boy continuing.

List of notable principal boys

* Maud Boyd * Joanne Campbell first black actress in the role in UK * Kate Everleigh * Nellie Farren * Lil Hawthorne * Hy Hazell * Queenie Leighton * Madge Lessing * Marie Loftus * Ouida MacDermott * Nellie Navette * Ada Reeve * Nellie Stewart * Vesta Tilley * Harriet Vernon * Dorothy Ward

References

Pantomime {{UK-theat-stub

List of notable principal boys

See also

References