Why 'middle-class women of a certain age' are the ones speaking out (in both panto and real-life)

It’s been a while since I went to the panto but an invitation to watch Cinderella at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh was too good to miss so it was time to embrace the Christmas spirit – and who doesn’t need a good laugh?

It turned out that panto has moved with the times while also preserving the tradition and managing to sit on the right side of offence. Boxes were ticked with plenty of “oh yes you did, oh no you didn’t”, a fairy godmother, a wicked stepmother, handsome princes and potential princesses, some local in-jokes – a shout out for Fort Kinnaird in a brilliant musical number with giant screen visuals – and a bit of giving your nearest neighbour (Fife) or rival football team a gentle kicking.

There was plenty of innuendo for the grown-ups that sailed over the sparkly headbands of the younger audience members, and jokes about bodily functions for kids of all ages. There were more sparkles than Strictly Come Dancing in the sophisticated set designs and costumes, with a high-kicking, all-singing and dancing chorus and clever special effects. There were some surprises too – with one highlight being Cinderella’s coach with showstopping special guests. It was magical.

Cinderella at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre is hilarious, and helps make a political point about those who criticise 'middle class women of a certain age' too | Neil Johnstone

Dames tell it like it is

But best of all for audience engagement were the dames, Allan Stewart and Grant Stott, along with their sidekick Jordan Young as Buttons. Their one-liners made the joke be about them, with the only audience members targeted being anyone who had the temerity to go to the toilet or the children invited on stage for a moment in the spotlight.

It’s no surprise that much of the humour comes from the two dominant females, Fairy Mary and the Wicked Stepmother, who are two ‘middle-class women of a certain age’ (if we can put the gender issue of said dames aside for a minute – oh yes we can!). With the power to speak their minds, that’s what they do to hilarious effect.

Check your privilege

And while we’re on the subject of “oh yes he did, oh no he didn’t”, in another panto playing out in the media, whatever Gregg Wallace said or didn’t say – before he thought better of saying anything at all – “middle class women of a certain age” may well be the ones speaking out about the latest BBC controversy but that’s precisely because they are middle class women of a certain age.

They’re the ones with the power and position that gives them the voice to do so. Young, working class women don’t have a cushion of affluence, the support or the resources to speak up – or a fairy godmother either – so they don’t.

They’re on the losing side in a power imbalance and those taking a pop at women who can speak up should ‘check their privilege’, as Gen Z like to say. So let’s hear it for the dames and the middle class women of a certain age, and bear in mind that middle class men of a certain age get to speak out left, right and centre, all day, every day. Oh yes they do!