PANTOMIMES are as much a traditional part of the festive season as Christmas crackers and Auld Lang Syne.
And as this selection of photos shows, the Keighley district has been no stranger to lavish productions over the years.
Amateur operatic groups, schools and churches have been among those to take to the stage – and are still doing so today.
Pantomime has a long theatrical history in western culture, dating back to the era of classical theatre.
It developed partly from the 16th century commedia dell’arte tradition of Italy and other European and British stage traditions, such as 17th-century masques and music hall. An important part of the pantomime, until the late 19th century, was the harlequinade.
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