The festive pantomime season is a beloved British tradition, promising family-friendly magic, laughter, and spectacle. But behind the glitter and slapstick, performers often endure a gruelling marathon of shows where anything can, and frequently does, go painfully wrong. From exploding props and panic attacks to severe physical injuries, the show must always go on.
Pyrotechnic Explosions and Filthy Egg Gags
For actor Adam Buksh, a 2013 performance of Aladdin at the Howden Park Centre in Livingston turned dangerously explosive. Portraying the Genie of the Lamp, he used a handheld pyrotechnic device to smash a magical ring. The device, however, was over-packed. The top shot into the audience, while the red-hot metal casing blew backwards and stuck to his skin. Temporarily blinded and deafened in front of 300 people, Buksh lip-read his cues and carried on. His hearing took 30 seconds to return.
In a separate, less dangerous but decidedly grim incident during Jack and the Beanstalk in Arbroath, a classic "egg gag" went awry. The routine involved a real egg for the dame and a rubber one for Buksh. Mid-performance, they discovered the real egg was coated in a substantial streak of bird excrement. The dame, displaying true panto dedication, put it in her mouth and bit down regardless.
Panic Attacks, Kidney Infections and Concussions
The physical and mental toll of panto is immense. Anna Soden, who played Dave the Cow in Jack and the Beanstalk at York Theatre Royal in 2023, suffered a severe panic attack on stage. It was triggered by the excruciating pain of a hand scalded earlier that day. Between scenes, she lay on her dressing room floor in a state of hysterical breakdown, half-dressed in her cow costume. Adrenaline propelled her back to finish the show, and the audience remained oblivious. She was later nominated for a UK Pantomime Association award but lost to a non-speaking goose.
Other performers have battled through serious illness. Natalie Law performed as Princess Amelia in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, in 2014 while suffering from what turned out to be a kidney infection. She vomited off-stage between scenes before returning to sing, dance, and be locked in a giant's cage. She went straight to A&E after the final curtain.
Injuries are also commonplace. Luke Adamson, playing Chester the Jester in Sleeping Beauty at London's Hoxton Hall in 2021, gave himself a concussion by running headfirst into a low doorframe. He completed the show before going to hospital. The following year, during a slosh scene in Hartlepool, he broke a rib by landing awkwardly on his elbow.
The Agony and Ecstasy of Flying
For those playing Peter Pan, the magic of flight comes at a price. Ewan Goddard performed 96 shows in Stevenage in 2016, often doing three shows a day. He endured the worst chafing of his life from the flying harness, which remained tightly fastened around his waist all day. His skin was left red and burning. By show 87, he was experiencing an existential crisis while dangling in the rafters.
Stewart McCheyne had a more dramatic mishap while playing Peter Pan in Motherwell in 2016. After giving high-fives, he fell down a stairwell, injuring his ankle. He hobbled back on stage, was hooked up to the fly rig, and was hoisted into the air. Only then did he notice, prompted by a horrified Wendy, that he was dripping blood from his leg onto the stage below.
The unsung heroes of panto face trials, too. Charlie Barnes, a stage door supervisor for Cinderella in Dartford in 2017, had the unglamorous daily task of cleaning up after the real Shetland ponies brought on stage. Despite their miniature size, their droppings were decidedly full-sized.
These stories reveal the immense resilience, camaraderie, and sheer grit that underpins the UK's festive panto tradition. The performers' dedication ensures the audience only ever sees the magic, never the mayhem behind the curtain.
