Bairns in the Wood synopsis

bairns in the wood

Pantomime is a British form of theatrical entertainment derived from the harlequinade (which itself originated in Italian commedia dell'arte), primarily for children and associated with Christmas. It is based on the dramatization of a fairy tale or nursery story, and includes songs and topical jokes, buffoonery and slapstick. It also includes standard characters such as a pantomime dame played by a man, a principal boy played by a woman, and a pantomime animal (e.g. a horse, cat or goose) played by actors dressed in a comic costume, with some regional variations. The children are encouraged to join in the songs, to shout out to the actors, and to give warning when the bad characters appear, although the good characters pretend not to believe them: "I haven't seen the villain, do you know where he is, children?" "Behind you !" "Oh no he isn't!" "Oh yes he is !". Pantomimes remain a feature of the Christmas season in Britain.

(adapted from The Oxford English Reference Dictionary and the Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture)

Synopsis/Characters


King' kids

These two kids are the King's children. During the opening scene a message arrives from the King: he entrusts his two kids to the Sheriff while he is travelling abroad on a crusade.

sheriff

The Sheriff is the baddie: he wants to have the kids killed while their father is away so that he can rule the country.

bert

Bert (played by Euan) and his brother Shuggie are hired by the Sheriff. Their mission is to kill the two kids.

Shuggie

Shuggie is a very funny character: he is not as clever as Bert and keeps blundering.

Flora

Flora is the owner of Ye Old Chippe Shoppe.

Old woman

The old woman is the narrator.


More about Bairns In The Wood

Illustrated summary of the scenes with Euan
Pictures of Euan in Bairns In The Wood
Please note that the pictures in the photo section are high resolution copies of the thumbnails used in the illustrated summary.