Panto at the Liverpool Empire

Pantomimes are traditionally performed around Christmas time, with family audiences consisting mainly of children and parents. British pantomime is now a popular form of theatre, incorporating song, dance, buffoonery, slapstick, in-jokes and essentially - audience participation - "She's behind you" and "Oh no it isn't, Oh yes it is". There are a number of traditional story-lines, and there is also a fairly well-defined set of performance conventions. Essential to contemporary pantomime is the "guest celebrity", which is why "Cilla" features so prominently in the posters.