Opera Singers and Food Flingers

Question to consider: Does the ‘Carry on’ saga or the ‘Carry on Cleaning’ advertisement contain any historic and tradditional of the threatical element’s?

The theatrical cross-dressing tradition might have more to do with the strange theatrical phenomenon at the time of women during the 19th century taking on male roles including famous performances of Hamlet and Romeo. Soon the tradition was lost and Pantomimes started casting male celebrities as the lead male character. It wasn’t until 1970, when Cilla Black played the role of Aladdin at the London Palladium, that the idea of the female playing a male was brought back and is now considered the long-standing ‘tradition’ and a defining element of this genre.

(http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/pantomime/features/cross-dressing)

Pantomime’s where once looked down on by the high class and considered a low form of Opera. This is because interval entertainers at Professional Operas abandoned their short appearances to pursue their own shows as they grew in popularity. Pantomimes evolved from a blend of traditional Commedia dell’arte techniques and Musical Theatre. In 1717, Harlequin’s where brought to the British stage under the name of ‘Lun’ for ‘lunatic’, they began performing wildly popular pantomimes. These pantomimes gradually became more topical and comic, often involving as many special theatrical effects. (http://www.limelightscripts.co.uk/scripts/history.htm and http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa110800b.htm)

So if a traditional Pantomime contains the patchwork of any ‘topical‘ issues, ‘theatrical effects‘, ‘lunatics‘ and ‘cross dressers‘ then it is possible to suggest that the ‘Carry On‘ Films and the following ‘Carry on Cleaning‘ advertisement, have been using the blanket of elements. Observing the ‘Carry on Cleaning‘ text:

▪ The ‘topical‘ content being the ‘Carry On’ genre (‘Carry on London’ is currently in pre-production) and the promoted kitchen roll that will literally ‘Carry on Cleaning’.

▪ ‘Theatrical effects‘ are the integrated CGI images.

▪ The ‘lunatics‘ appear mostly in the final scene after minor food abuse turns into chaos and hooliganism.

▪ The ‘Cross dressers‘ are our protagonists Audrey and Brenda.

Further Questions:

Why is it when men dress as women it is funny, but women dressing as men is more accepted?

Is it possible to suggest that the actresses playing the male parts are avenging pre-restoration of the theatre?

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