R. J. Broadbent traces the pantomime from its supposed origins in ancient ritual and Greek dancing through Roman mimes, the Italian commedia dell’arte and the masquerades of Ruzzante to the English Christmas entertainment. Along the way he explains where Harlequin, Columbine, Clown and Pantaloon came from and how transformation scenes grew into the spectacle Victorian audiences loved.
A lively compendium for theatre lovers, though its survey of non-European drama reflects the anthropology of 1901. Download the free EPUB.