Dames, Principal Boys...And All That: A History of Pantomime in Australia

Macmillan is proud to announce the publication of the late Viola Tait's 240-page book - Dames, Principal Boys...And All That: A History of Pantomime in Australia. It realises the author's long-time ambition to chronicle this remarkable art form as it developed in Australia. Commensing with pantomime's beginnings in Britain, then surveying its highlights here, Viola Tait's account is both revelatory and nostalgic. It recalls days gone by when adults and children eagerly anticipated the Christmas Pantomime and were exhilerated by the idiosyncratic dialogue and the humerous antics of the star performers - from Australian born Nellie Stewart, darling of Drury Lane, to popular figures like Gladys Moncrieff, Roy Rene and Graham Kennedy. Barry Humphries' imaginative introduction to the book focuses on a major thread which is maintained throughout the text - the curious pantomime tradition of men appearing as 'Dames' and women as 'Principal Boys'. The many photographs of these much loved characters is one of the most exciting aspects of the book.