The secret to keeping a century-old panto show in business

THE HEAD OF the Gaiety Theatre has revealed the secret to keeping a successful panto running for more than a century - don’t just write a show for kids.

It’s 143 years since the Gaiety first staged the Christmas-time show and over the years it has become “the foundation of the theatre”, according to Caroline Downey, the theatre’s co-owner and current managing director.

Since it is such a crucial part of the theatre’s calendar, and is billed as “no ordinary panto”, Downey said there is pressure to deliver each year.

“The key to a good panto is that it has to appeal to the parents as much as it does to the children.

“It’s the adult who buys the ticket in the end, but it is a very important balance because next year, when it comes around to panto, if the children have a bad memory they will not want to go.

“That takes a very creative script writer and director to be able to get both so that the adults don’t feel that it has been a chore and the children have also enjoyed it.”

Caroline Downey

Back in-house

It’s only in the past 20 years that the Gaiety Theatre has taken on the task of producing the panto. Previously, an outside company leased the premises to put on the show.

However the show has turned into a big money spinner for the theatre, according to Downey, and it has yet again extended the run into late January on the back of demand.

“We invest more now than we ever have – we definitely don’t scrimp. We spend because children now are more interactive with so many games and visuals, so you need to keep their attention. But it is also about keeping the essence of the panto and at the same time.”

Part of that investment has gone into installing big screens on stage to provide lifelike backdrops, while the theatre has also brought a lot of the panto’s production back in-house to keep a lid on costs.

“Two years ago, we decided we would start doing our own sets again. So now we look at what we think will work for the following year’s show and how we can incorporate certain set pieces that can be broken down, changed and used.

“It’s about being cost-effective. In the case of the castle for this year, how can it be reused in Rapunzel’s castle next year, while Granny’s cottage last year for Little Red Riding Hood is Nanny’s tavern this year.”

Market share

While the Gaiety enjoys the mantle of the theatre with the longest-running panto, it still has to compete with other Dublin venues, like the Olympia – where Downey is also a co-owner – and the Helix, to attract the seasonal crowds.

Despite the packed market, Downey said she wasn’t worried about losing box office revenues – and that year-on-year increases in ticket sales showed there was room for the different productions to continue to exist.

“People have various reasons why they pick different shows to go to. They might pick the Olympia because they like Al Porter and Dustin, and I guess if you live near the Helix, that is more suitable for you – the same if you’re down in Cork.

“We haven’t found that other shows have affected us. I think the Olympia one has been extended, so we’re obviously not affecting them.”

Planning next year

Even though the current run isn’t finished, planning is already underway for next year, with a production of Rapunzel earmarked for 2017.

And while Downey has many other projects to oversee – such as at event promotion company MCD and her management of Irish singer-songwriter Hozier - she offers no hints that she plans to step away from work on the Christmas-time show.

She said that the panto is her “favourite thing to do”.

“From my office in the Gaiety I can hear all the sounds coming from the theatre, so you can hear the kids screaming, the songs, the dancing and it’s a really magical place to be when the panto is on.

“I have seen this year’s show nine or 10 times already. When I have 20 minutes to spare, I sit down the back and watch it. I never get tired of it.”