Pantomimeteatret
Encyclopedia
The Pantomime Theatre is an open-air theatre located in the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen
, Denmark
. As indicated by the name, it is primarily used for pantomime theatre in the classical Italian commedia dell'arte
tradition which is performed daily. Besides this original function, the theatre leads a second life as a venue for ballet
and modern dance
.
and after a series of rebuilding and major repairs, it was finally decided to replace it with a more up-to-date building in 1873. The architect Vilhelm Dahlerup
, at that time working on the design of the Royal Danish Theatre
was commissioned to make a proposal and the year after in 1874, the same year as the Royal Theatre, the present Peacock Theatre in Chinese style was inaugurated. Dahlerup had never been to China but he sought inspiration from pictures of buildings, borrowed from an engineer who had been stationed in the Far East. The technical side of the project was constructed by the theatre's director and Pierrot Niels Hendrik Volkersen and timber and assistance with the cordage
was obtained from the Holmen naval base
.
theatre built in Chinese style and noted for its mechanical front curtain that takes five men to operate and unfolds like a peacock-s tail
.
The pantomime tradition of the theatre is a mixture of many elements that are apparently quite unrelated. When the peacock folds down its wings, the stage is obviously set somewhere in old Copenhagen, at the home of stodgy Cassander who lives alone with his beautiful daughter, Columbine
. It remains unclear what has happened to her mother. Cassander is assisted by his servant, Pierrot
, who has a white face like the clown he really is. And Cassander’s adversary with whom he is constantly struggling is Harlequin
– a charming, masked scoundrel with little money to his name but who is deeply in love with Columbine and often well-connected to a friendly sorcerer or fairy.
Like the characters, the music comes from many different sources. It includes Strauss, Mozart and Gounod – and, needless to say, lots of music by H. C. Lumbye, Tivoli’s in-house composer at one time. The music has been selected to underpin the plot and movements of each pantomime.
and modern dance. HM Queen Magrethe
created costumes and scenography several times, including for ballets based on Hans Christian Andersen
's The Little Match Girl
and The Swineherd
in 2007 and 2009. Choreographers who have created works for the Pantomimeteatret include Dinna Bjørn, Louise Midjord, Paul James Rooney
and Ian Rowe.
and hip hop
pantomimes.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. As indicated by the name, it is primarily used for pantomime theatre in the classical Italian commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
tradition which is performed daily. Besides this original function, the theatre leads a second life as a venue for ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
and modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
.
History
When the Tivoli Gardens first opened in 1874, a small theatre was already found at the site of the current building just inside the main entrance. It was made out of timber and painted canvasCanvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
and after a series of rebuilding and major repairs, it was finally decided to replace it with a more up-to-date building in 1873. The architect Vilhelm Dahlerup
Vilhelm Dahlerup
Jens Vilhelm Dahlerup was a Danish architect who specialized in the Historicist style. One of the most productive and noted Danish architects of the 19th century, he is behind many of the most known buildings and landmarks of his time and has more than any other single architect contributed to the...
, at that time working on the design of the Royal Danish Theatre
Royal Danish Theatre
The Royal Danish Theatre is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first serving as the theatre of the king, and then as the theatre of the...
was commissioned to make a proposal and the year after in 1874, the same year as the Royal Theatre, the present Peacock Theatre in Chinese style was inaugurated. Dahlerup had never been to China but he sought inspiration from pictures of buildings, borrowed from an engineer who had been stationed in the Far East. The technical side of the project was constructed by the theatre's director and Pierrot Niels Hendrik Volkersen and timber and assistance with the cordage
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
was obtained from the Holmen naval base
Holmen naval base
Naval Station Holmen is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør....
.
Architecture
It is a toy-like HistoricistHistoricism
Historicism is a mode of thinking that assigns a central and basic significance to a specific context, such as historical period, geographical place and local culture. As such it is in contrast to individualist theories of knowledges such as empiricism and rationalism, which neglect the role of...
theatre built in Chinese style and noted for its mechanical front curtain that takes five men to operate and unfolds like a peacock-s tail
Peafowl
Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...
.
Repertoire
The repertoire consists of a mixture of traditional pantomimes, ballet performances and contemporary and more experimental performances.Pantomime
Columbina
Columbine is a fictional character in the Commedia dell'Arte. She is Harlequin's mistress, a comic servant playing the tricky slave type, and wife of Pierrot...
. It remains unclear what has happened to her mother. Cassander is assisted by his servant, Pierrot
Pierrot
Pierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre , via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in...
, who has a white face like the clown he really is. And Cassander’s adversary with whom he is constantly struggling is Harlequin
Harlequin
Harlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:...
– a charming, masked scoundrel with little money to his name but who is deeply in love with Columbine and often well-connected to a friendly sorcerer or fairy.
Like the characters, the music comes from many different sources. It includes Strauss, Mozart and Gounod – and, needless to say, lots of music by H. C. Lumbye, Tivoli’s in-house composer at one time. The music has been selected to underpin the plot and movements of each pantomime.
Ballet
The programme also include ballet performances, including examples of the distinctive Danish Bournonville styleBournonville School
The Bournonville method is a ballet technique and training system devised by the Danish ballet master August Bournonville.-Overview:August Bournonville trained with his father Antoine Bournonville and other notable French ballet masters...
and modern dance. HM Queen Magrethe
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
created costumes and scenography several times, including for ballets based on Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
's The Little Match Girl
The Little Match Girl
The Little Match Girl is a short story by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story is about a dying child's dreams and hope, and was first published in 1845. It has been adapted to various media including animated film, and a television musical.-Plot summary:On a cold New Year’s...
and The Swineherd
The Swineherd
"The Swineherd" is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a prince who disguises himself as a swineherd to woo an arrogant princess. The tale was first published 20 December 1841 by C. A. Reitzel in Copenhagen, Denmark in Fairy Tales Told for Children. New Collection. The...
in 2007 and 2009. Choreographers who have created works for the Pantomimeteatret include Dinna Bjørn, Louise Midjord, Paul James Rooney
Paul James Rooney
Paul James Rooney is an English dancer, choreographer and rehearsal director, who has worked in and with various companies and choreographers around the world, including names such as; Matthew Bourne, Will Tuckett, Christopher Hampson and Marie Brolin-Tani...
and Ian Rowe.
Other performances
Since 2003 the programme has also involved more contemporary genre like jazz danceJazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
and hip hop
Hip hop dance
Hip-hop dance refers to dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles notably breaking, locking, and popping which were created in the 1970s by African Americans and made popular by breaking, locking, and...
pantomimes.
Artists
Artists who have worked with the Pantomime Theatre include:- Helgi TomassonHelgi TomassonHelgi Tómasson is a former Icelandic ballet dancer and current artistic director for the San Francisco Ballet and its ballet school.- Early life :...
, ballet dancer - Nola RaeNola RaeNola Rae MBE is an internationally renowned mime artist.-Early life and education:Rae was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1949 and migrated to London with her family in 1963....
, mime artist - Ronald Smith Wilson, mime artist, dancer
- HM Margrethe II of DenmarkMargrethe II of DenmarkMargrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
, scenography, costumes - Palle JacobsenPalle JacobsenPalle Jacobsen was a Danish ballet dancer, choreographer and instructor with the Royal Danish Ballet and ballet master at the Pantomine Theatre in the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.-Biography:...
, ballet master