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One of the big challenges of a Script Writer and also a Director is how do you make your chorus, not “just” a chorus? Certainly in amateur productions, the casting stage can be an emotional rollercoaster and often results in one or more members of the society feeling upset or overlooked, no matter how much the Director tries to achieve a balance.
But, being cast in the chorus doesn’t have to feel like a negative experience for those who really wanted a part. We’ve put together some tips and advice to help you ensure it’s fun and exciting for everyone - after all some might say the chorus are actually the most important part of your production and here’s why:
The audience are sitting comfortably, the children are bouncing up and down in anticipation, and then after a short musical interlude or a medley of magical sound effects, the lights come up, the curtains open and the story telling begins! This is our first glimpse of what’s to come, it sets the scene for your production, and is your chance to pull your audience into the magic of pantomime.
What happens at this point really determines how much your audience will join in and engage with your characters. We all know how much a good audience influences the enjoyment of a show for everyone - on and off the stage. An enthusiastic chorus will draw your audience into the story but a lacklustre chorus will quickly drain the energy from the room, and slow things down, resulting in all the cast having to put more work in to keep the production flowing.
So, we hear your ask, how do you make your chorus not "just" a chorus?
Ok this might sound stupid, but telling them how important they are is a key strategy to getting started. Making them realise that they open the show is bound to make them feel valued. Big smiles and eye contact from them will let the audience know that we really want them to join in by clapping and singing along with the opening number. Tell them, you want them to feed off the audiences energy and in turn create more energy and excitement. An extra tip for you; always keep your opening number bright and cheerful to set the tone of things to come.
Yes that's right! You want to set aside plenty of rehearsal time for these guys - don’t assume that they know what to do! Your chorus are often at a disadvantage. They may not have all of the script, they may not know the plot that well and they may not be at every rehearsal. You wouldn’t expect your principal characters to walk on stage and know exactly what to do and how to react - so don’t expect your chorus to.
However, time consuming it may be, spend time working with them on their reactions and interactions with each other, the principal characters and the audience. Building realistic characters who can connect with the audience is a big factor in making your chorus not “just” a chorus.
We’re not talking about giving them cakes and chocolates here (although it does work! 😉), we’re talking about making sure the song choices and choreography you’re proposing is doable for them.
Some years you may have a chorus who are all skilled in musical theatre, and other years your chorus may be enthusiastic “steppers and clappers” (..though not always at the same time!) Obviously there is a big difference to what they can realistically achieve! More often, you’ll have a mix of both so feel free to showcase the talents they all have - they don't all have to do the same thing. You want them to feel challenged not bored, but also not so overwhelmed that they put more effort into concentrating on their steps than they do engaging with the audience and projecting fun.
For example, we’ve worked with someone for many years who is not a singer or a dancer but who gives their all to the audience in terms of knowing nods, winks and encouragement. We never make them dance, in fact they often sit on a barrel/ tree stump at the side of the stage encouraging the audience to clap and join in ....whilst pre-empting every single joke coming! It works every time, they love it, the audience love it and they actually prefer being in the chorus over a main part - even though they are more than capable.
To keep the feeling of importance, ensure your chorus parts are all named with a defined character. There is nothing more demoralising in a pantomime than having the part “Chorus 2”! You’ll find when we write, we give names to the majority of our chorus - have a look at any of our Scripts and see how we do it. We’ve some lovely chorus parts in Snow White and Rose Red and also The Elves and the Shoemaker to name a few of our titles.
Give your chorus the freedom to develop their character as you would do the principal roles. Encourage accents and character traits. Make them realise that they are not “just” the chorus - they are an essential part of the story. Expect that some may need more help than others - though be prepared to reel them in before they spend a fortune on eBay!
We like to split our chorus into groups. This allows you to group actors together who can provide support to each other or showcase a particular talent (i.e dancing). Designating stage entrances for each group can make them feel ownership for areas of the stage and also enable you to give them added responsibility in terms of set dressing/ prop support etc for the main characters. It also helps in getting your chorus off quickly! Each group can have a designated “leader” who then is responsible for ensuring they are in the correct place at the correct time .... with of course the correct costumes/ props etc! We often like to have different groups on at different times which reinforces their character’s importance in the storyline.
rApart from being cast as “Chorus 2”, there’s nothing more disheartening and being made to feel that you are “just” the chorus than wearing the same costume that you wore last year - or indeed 20 years ago! We know that not every company has an endless budget for costumes and that generic costumes are pulled from the rack and amended as needed, but do try to switch them up a bit.
Following TIP 4 will really help you here - creating characters will change the way you use your stock of costumes and help your actor feel more in character - even if they did wear the same shawl and mop cap last year!
Good luck and have fun with your Chorus - they are an important part of your production so don’t forget to remind them of that from time to time - everyone likes a bit of praise! We're just about to sharpen our pencils and amend one of our scripts for a client with an ever expanding cast list, and guess what? We're creating more chorus characters!
If you want to chat anything panto related, drop us a line at hello@pantofun.com. We're always happy to chat panto and it would be lovely to hear from you!
Until next time,
Sarah and Helen x
