Explain How a Pantomime Works Before Someone's First One

Everyone else in the theatre appears to know exactly when to shout and you do not. This explains the stock characters, the plot shape, the shouting conventions, why the dame is a man, and roughly when the interval lands. Plus what to warn the person you are bringing about, before it starts.

Explain how a British pantomime works to someone who has never seen one, so they know what is happening and are not the only person sitting silently. Cover the stock characters and what each is for, the standard plot shape, and the audience conventions: when to boo, when to shout behind you, the song sheet, the sweets thrown into the stalls, and why a man is playing the dame. Explain the running order across the two halves and roughly when the interval falls. Say what tends to surprise adults attending for the first time, especially the jokes aimed over children's heads. Then give three practical notes for taking [who you are going with, for example a nervous four year old, an elderly relative, a visitor from abroad]: where to sit, what to bring, and what to warn them about. Plain English, under 500 words, no plot spoilers for any specific show.