What to do

1. Write the word 'pantomime' on the board. Do any students know what a pantomime is? Explain that pantomimes are always performed at Christmas in Britain. They are theatre shows usually based on traditional stories and then adapted to include jokes and references to local personalities and places.

Find out if an equivalent to pantomimes exists in your students' country. The explain that the students are going to read (or perform) a short pantomime in English. It's called Cinderella. Do the students know the story?

2. Teach the vocabulary relevant to the pantomime and then give out copies of the script.

There are 9 speaking parts in the pantomime. If there are more students in the class than characters, additional parts can be added in crowd scenes. Students can also read scene titles, make sound effects, etc. Alternatively, students change parts in different scenes. Don’t forget, the audience plays an active part in pantomime performances, too.

In groups, students read Students read and complete the spaces following the prompts on the opposite page.

3. Assign characters and read through the script. There are indications in the script where students have to add some information of their own. Students can add any other additional dialogue or make any changes they want to the script.

4. Perform the pantomime in the class.