The most famous panto story of all is the staging of Robinson Crusoe in 1973/4 featuring four real lions! Managing Director at the time, Humphrey Stanbury explains:
I thought we must have a real jungle scene, let’s have real wild animals, let’s have lions! ……..We had lions on stage at the Grand – one lion and three lionesses. I always remember the circus proprietor came to see me in September. We stood on the empty stage and he said right we’ll build a couple of cages for you and each night for your jungle scene, we’ll put up a ring on your stage of about 12 feet high and we’ll build a tunnel. Each night we’ll open the trap and the lions will come down the tunnel and straight onto your stage- perfect! I gulped and said “ought there to be a net over the top of the ring?” “Well, “he said, “Different authorities in different town have different ideas. My advice to you is to put a net over the top of the ring for the first couple of performances until they settle down.” I said “You mean when the lions settle down?” He said “No, I mean when the authorities settle down!”