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'It's behind you!' How Britain goes wild for pantomimes during the holidays

December 28, 2025

Culture 'It's behind you!' How Britain goes wild for pantomimes during the holidays December 27, 20255:01 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered By Robbie Griffiths British pantomime and the joy of breaking theater rules Listen · 4:52 4:52 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www. npr. org/player/embed/nx-s1-5645845/nx-s1-9587505" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> The Wicked Witch 'Adelphaba' (played by Gigi Zahir) on stage at the Pleasance Theatre in North London Ella Carmen Dale/Handout hide caption toggle caption Ella Carmen Dale/Handout LONDON — Foreboding music begins. A scary green witch announces her arrival with a cackle. It's the opening of Wicked Witches, a British holiday-time play known as a "pantomime," at a North London theater.

Credit: The Wicked Witch 'Adelphaba' (played by Gigi Zahir) on stage at the Pleasance Theatre in North LondonElla Carmen Dale/Handouthide captiontoggle captionElla Carmen Dale/Handout

Key Highlights

But soon after she walks on stage, it's clear the witch isn't happy with the audience.
She says the audience is being too quiet, and should boo her as loudly as they can, because she is the "villain" of the pantomime.
She leaves the stage and comes back on — and this time, the audience does what it's told, heckling with loud boos.
Throughout the two-hour play, the audience is expected to join in, shouting out classic lines that most people who attend already know, even if they haven't seen this play.
Pantomimes are famous for crowds calling out catch phrases e like "it's behind you!" — to alert the actors to something, or someone, they can't see on stage.

Sources

'It's behind you!' How Britain goes wild for pantomimes during the holidays

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'It's behind you!' How Britain goes wild for pantomimes during the holidays

Key Highlights

Sources

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