The link to Commedia Dell’Arte becomes more and more tenuous as we explore the panto tradition in the 20th and 21st centuries specially when we reflect on the dames and principle boys, and what the expectations are of the characters involved. (http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa110800b.htm)
Firstly, we need to make the link between Commedia Dell’Arte and Shakespeare. The bard shares similar stock plots and characters that original Commedia Dell’Arte troupe pioneered as play-wright foundations. This backbone of plots and characters suggests that almost every play, text or TV drama consits of these concepts. They can be seen more obviously in dramas for a younger audience from legendary Punch and Judy shows to contemporary TV like ‘My Parents are Aliens’ (CITV 1999-2006) and ‘The New Basil Brush Show’ (CBBC from 2002). Below are just a small amount of the Commedia Dell’Arte stock characters that I have selected and abbreviated from ‘www.shane-arts.com/commedia-stock-characters.htm‘.
- Arlecchino: acrobatic, witty, childlike and amorous.
- Brighella: Arlecchino’s friend, roguish and sophisticated, and will do anything for money.
- Il Capitano: or the ‘captain’ was a bold, swaggering, and solider like.
- Il Dottore: or the ‘doctor’ was a caricature of learning.
- Pantalone: a merchant, rich and retired, mean and miserly, usually with an adventurous daughter.
- Pedrolino: was a white–faced dreamer and the forerunner of today’s clown.
- Pulcinella: was a dwarfish humpback with a crooked nose, the cruel bachelor who chased pretty girls.
- Inamorato: the lover, handsome and poetic.
- Inamorata: his female counterpart.
- Inamortata’s servant: Witty, bright, and given to intrigue.
Shakespeare clearly shows the style of character development in many of his plays wether it was intentional or not being as they where both around at similar times and possibly know about each other seeing as Shakspeare set many of his plays in Italy (The Two Gentlemen of Verona 1591 and Romeo and Juliet, unknown) where the company formed. This is most famously apparent in Romeo and Juliet. Notice the character ‘Pantalone‘ can be mirrored by Lord Capulet, ‘Inamorato‘ is in this case Romeo and ‘Inamorta‘ is Juliet, who also has a ‘witty’ servant. The servant or as Juliet calls her, ‘nurse’, has wise-cracking remarks such as ‘thou hadst suck’d wisdom from thy teat’ (Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 3 Lines 67-68) and can therefore be described as our Commedia Dell’Arte servant.
This same ‘servant’ is usually played by someone older and ugly due to the character Mericutio’s insults “ancient lady”and “hide her face; for her fan’s the fairer face” (Romeo and Juliet act 2 scene 4 lines 107 and 143). The motherly characteristics and what is revealed of her appearance by other characters has an uncanny resemblance to the Pantomime dame. This is just an example of how to create a flow starting at the famous works of Shakespeare and ending at ‘The carry on Cleaning Advertisment‘ after going through Commedia Dell’Arte and the Pantomime Dame characters that we see in the commercial.
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