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Audition Sonds for Comic Characters in Panto
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For the comedy roles in Pantomime it’s a slightly different matter when choosing a song. Vocals are less important, and more emphasis is made on comedy acting and the ability to ad-lib and interact with the audience.
Look for something that isn’t over complicated and something that you know well, so you can play around with it slightly.
There are plenty of comedy songs to choose from, or you could consider singing a “straight” song with a twist (maybe alternate lyrics?) in order to show off their comedy skills.
Patter songs also go make good choices.
Click on image to buy from Amazon
For the comedy roles in Pantomime it’s a slightly different matter when choosing a song. Vocals are less important, and more emphasis is made on comedy acting and the ability to ad-lib and interact with the audience.
Look for something that isn’t over complicated and something that you know well, so you can play around with it slightly.
There are plenty of comedy songs to choose from, or you could consider singing a “straight” song with a twist (maybe alternate lyrics?) in order to show off their comedy skills.
Patter songs also go make good choices.
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Reach for the Stars (click to view video)
S Club 7“Reach” is a song by S Club 7, released as a single in 2000. “Reach” is an up-tempo track, feel good track.The song discusses how, if you follow your dreams, and “reach for the stars”, you’re destined to fulfill your goals.The feel good nature of the song makes it a lovely audition song for comedy panto roles or even for theatre in education. It is cheesy but revel in the cheese! -
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Flash Bang Wallop (click to view video)
Half a SixpenceHalf a Sixpence is a musical comedy written as a vehicle for British pop star Tommy Steele.Steele plays Arthur Kipps, an orphan who unexpectedly inherits a fortune, and climbs the social ladder before losing everything and realizing that you just can’t buy happiness.Flash Bang Wallop is a real showstopper which oozes fun and demands to be sung with gusto and full of cheeky chappie character making it an awesome choice for auditions to play the ‘audience friend’ role in pantomime or any other larger than life comedy characters. -
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Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life (click to view video)
Spamalot
“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” is a comedy song written by Eric Idle that was originally featured in the 1979 film Monty Python’s Life of Brian and is now sung in the musical Spamalot.Spamalot is loosely based on the Arthurain Legend, with more than a dash of Monty Python and lots of laughs!“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” was conceived as a parody of the style of song often featured in Disney films particularly to songs such as “Give a Little Whistle” from Pinocchio. Its appearance at the end of the film, when the central character seems certain to die, is deliberately ironic. -
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Shine (click to view video)
Take That
“Shine” is a second single from Take That’s comeback album Beautiful World.The song is lively, upbeat, bright and fun. It would make a nice choice for ‘audience friend’ role in any pantomime.As with any audition where you are singing a pop song try and put it into some character and stroy basis, so you treat it as an actor and not just as a singer. A singing audition is as much about your acting skills as it is your singing. -
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Life’s a Happy Song (click to view video)
The Muppets
“Life’s a Happy Song” is an original song from the film The Muppets.The song is sung in the movie by Gary, Walter, and Mary, with a chorus of other Smalltown, USA residents.Written by Bret McKenzie, the song was the first he penned for the film. McKenzie said the song is, “successful as a musical number, but it’s also a parody of a musical number. -
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Would You Like to Swing a Star (click to view video)
Bing Crosby
“Swinging on a Star” is an American pop standard sung by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.During a meal one of Bing’s children began complaining about how he didn’t want to go to school the next day. The singer turned to his son and said to him, “If you don’t go to school, you might grow up to be a mule. Do you wanna do that?” and the song was born! -
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The Kite (click to view video)
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical based on the characters from the comic strip Peanuts. There is a bit of a story but the songs stand on their own as the show is really a series of several vignettes with a musical number for each one.‘The Kite’ is sung by Charlie Brown as he is trying to get his unusually stubborn kite to soar in the air. Eventually, he succeeds in doing this, and he enjoys a few minutes of triumph before the notorious Kite-Eating Tree eats it up.It is a very sweet song, upbeat and full of youthful energy which is perfect for auditioning for pantomime or TIE (theatre in eduaction) -
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Honey Bun (click to view video)
South Pacific
South Pacific is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II it premiered in 1949 on Broadway, and there is a much loved 1958 film.In the musical the song ‘Honey Bun’ is sung as a comedy pastiche by Nellie (the female lead) dressed as a sailor, she sings praises of “his” sweetheart, his “Honey Bun”. One of the actual big butch sailors of the show plays Honey Bun, dressed in a blond wig, grass skirt and coconut-shell bra! All that cross dressing makes it ideal for a Panto audition!Its a real fun ‘music hall’ type of number, which can be addressed directly to the audience. -
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