BBC World Service Online

Global Business

Factual: Money

Insights into the business world from the BBC.

Global Business: Curtain Up

Curtain Up

21/12/2013

BBC World Service - Global Business, Curtain Up

Pantomines generate income for local theatres in the UK - how do they do it?

Pantomines - traditional Christmas shows - generate income for cash-strapped local theatres in the UK. We look behind the scenes of two rival production companies in Nottingham.

Pantomime is a very British tradition, still as popular as ever with audiences. The traditional Christmas shows are also an important income generator for regional theatres and big production companies. Global Business goes to Nottingham to follow the progress of the city's two rival pantomimes - one - Jack and the Beanstalk - made in-house at the Nottingham Playhouse, with a much-loved dame making his 30th (and last) pantomime performance and the other - Peter Pan - at the Theatre Royal, brought in from a big pantomime-making production company starring the American Baywatch actor David Hasselhoff also known as ''The Hoff'. Peter Day finds out what is involved and why pantomimes matter so much to regional theatres.

Image credit: Robert Day

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Global Business

Curtain Up

Genres

Brand

BBC World Service Online

About BBC World Service