Vintage Jack and the Beanstalk Poster

Pantomime Theatre -- Jack and the Beanstalk Reproduction of a gorgeous 1930's vintage stone litho printed image from the classic story of Jack and the Beanstalk. The image shows Jack (portrayed as female because for pantomime theatre performances, actresses were used for the title role), ascending the beanstalk and waving to her mother below and the Giant in the clouds in front of his castle. This poster was used to advertise the live pantomime style performance for a theatre in England. Pantomime , is a type of musical comedy stage production, designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is generally performed during the Christmas and New Year season. Modern pantomime includes songs, slapstick comedy and dancing, employs gender-crossing actors, and combines topical humour with a story loosely based on a well-known fairy tale. It is a participatory form of theatre, in which the audience is expected to sing along with certain parts of the music and shout out phrases to the performers. Pantomime has a long theatrical history in Western culture dating back to classical theatre, and it developed partly from the 16th-century commedia dell'arte tradition of Italy, as well as other European and British stage traditions, such as 17th-century masques. An important part of the pantomime, until the late 19th century, was the harlequinade. The pantomime is performed today throughout Britain and, to a lesser extent, in other English-speaking countries.