PANTOMIME LIVESTREAMS
In the United Kingdom, pantomimes or “panto” are as much a part of the festive season as trees, fairy lights, and consuming a lot of food. Based on fairy tales and nursery rhymes, panto employs music, slapstick, and topical jokes to provide holiday entertainment for children and grown-ups alike.
For people in hospital, going to panto and live theatre are often out of the question. In recent years, an increasing number of pantomimes are being live-streamed into hospitals.
In 2012, Skype, Qdos Entertainment, and DeadSocial combined forces to livestream a performance of Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Hospital. The hospital was chosen due to its historic connection with Peter Pan, as J.M. Barrie gave the rights for the play to the hospital who receive royalties every time it is performed. Technical Manager Matt Jordan stated of the broadcast, “Our goal is to make it seem as if they were sitting in the auditorium itself.”
Billed as “the world’s first live pantomime via Skype,”… On the day of the Skype, children at the hospital were treated to face painting, in-person performances, and goody bags.
DeadSocial is an organization formed in 2012 aiming to help people curate their online legacy after they have died. CEO James Norris has stated,
For people in hospital, going to panto and live theatre are often out of the question. In recent years, an increasing number of pantomimes are being live-streamed into hospitals.
In 2012, Skype, Qdos Entertainment, and DeadSocial combined forces to livestream a performance of Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Hospital. The hospital was chosen due to its historic connection with Peter Pan, as J.M. Barrie gave the rights for the play to the hospital who receive royalties every time it is performed. Technical Manager Matt Jordan stated of the broadcast, “Our goal is to make it seem as if they were sitting in the auditorium itself.”
Billed as “the world’s first live pantomime via Skype,”… On the day of the Skype, children at the hospital were treated to face painting, in-person performances, and goody bags.
DeadSocial is an organization formed in 2012 aiming to help people curate their online legacy after they have died. CEO James Norris has stated,
"By streaming the performances live to hospices we hope that those watching will interact in a similar way to the audience in the theatre. If residents, families and healthcare workers in hospices across the UK shout "it's behind you" loud enough the actors on stage may just hear”
The Skype performance was nominated for three awards, including the PR Week Awards, European Excellence Awards and CIPR Excellence Awards, for Best Technology Campaign.
Newcastle Theatre Royal began organizing Christmas livestreams in 2015 after Trustee Howard Tait accompanied actors visiting the local hospital and realized the sickest children were not able to go to the theatre.
Since 2012, approximately 10 pantos have been made available to livestream in various hospitals around the UK.
Newcastle Theatre Royal began organizing Christmas livestreams in 2015 after Trustee Howard Tait accompanied actors visiting the local hospital and realized the sickest children were not able to go to the theatre.
Since 2012, approximately 10 pantos have been made available to livestream in various hospitals around the UK.
The livestreams are usually only made available to hospitals within the local area of the theatre, although the Newcastle Theatre Royal livestreams have been more widely available. The livestreams are made available for free thanks to the generosity of patrons and various philanthropic organizations.
Screenings are made available via wifi on personal devices and in-house entertainment systems. Some hospitals also provide screenings in in-house theatres where patients, guests, and off-duty staff can watch together. Many of the livestreams are preceeded by visits to the hospital from the show’s cast and creatives.
In 2017, Ramps on the Moon, a company which aims to provide artistic employment and opportunities for people with disabilities, livestreamed the final performance of their acclaimed production of The Who’s Tommy into adult social care homes across the UK. You can learn more about the production in the database.
While it is wonderful Tommy was broadcast at all, it is a frustrating that a production heavily featuring actors with disabilities and making use of British Sign Language was not made available to a wider audience on screen.
Screenings are made available via wifi on personal devices and in-house entertainment systems. Some hospitals also provide screenings in in-house theatres where patients, guests, and off-duty staff can watch together. Many of the livestreams are preceeded by visits to the hospital from the show’s cast and creatives.
In 2017, Ramps on the Moon, a company which aims to provide artistic employment and opportunities for people with disabilities, livestreamed the final performance of their acclaimed production of The Who’s Tommy into adult social care homes across the UK. You can learn more about the production in the database.
While it is wonderful Tommy was broadcast at all, it is a frustrating that a production heavily featuring actors with disabilities and making use of British Sign Language was not made available to a wider audience on screen.
Sources
Articles
Websites
Articles
- DeadSocial, “Hospices receive a live video stream from the Pantomime 'Cinderella' this Christmas,” DeadSocial (Dec 12, 2012)
- Steve Ford, “Pantomime set to deliver festive cheer to local hospital patients,” Nursing Times (Dec 21, 2017)
- Phil Hewitt, “David Walliams' The Midnight Gang to be streamed to hospitals live from Chichester Festival Theatre,” Chichester Observer (Oct 19, 2018)
- Lisa Hutchinson, “Newcastle hospital patients able to watch Dick Whittington panto from their sick beds,” Chronicle Live (Dec 17, 2015)
- David Paul, “Oh yes we can.. Panto goes out live to hospitals,” The Express (Dec 22, 2013)
- Georgia Snow, “Theatre Royal Stratford East to live-stream pantomime into local hospitals,” The Stage (Dec 19, 2017)
- The Skype Team, “Skype spreads the spirit of Christmas to children across the UK,” Microsoft (Dec 20, 2012)
- Uncredited, “Skype: Llandudno panto live to Great Ormond Street,” BBC News (Dec 13, 2012)
- Uncredited, “THE MAGIC OF PANTO,” Atomic (undated)
- Uncredited, “Patients can see panto from their hospital beds” QE Gateshead (Dec 18, 2015)
- Uncredited, “THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST'S CELEBRATED PANTOMIME RAPUNZEL TO BE LIVE STREAMED AT HOSPITALS,” Theatre Royal Stratford East (Dec 19, 2017)
Websites
- The Digital Beyond, “DeadSocial,” Accessed via: http://www.thedigitalbeyond.com/online-services-list/dead-social/
- Theatre Royal & City Hall, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” Accessed via: https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/panto-goldilocks
- YouTube, “Launch of World’s First Pantomime via Skype,” Accessed via: https://youtu.be/4QkWfTrpUMc