It all started once upon a time 40 years ago when a fat man fell off a wall and no-one could put him back together again.
And this month, a theatre is celebrating four decades of staging pantomimes after Humpty Dumpty got the show on the road back in 1973.
The Concordia Theatre, in Hinckley, was marking the milestone by giving children the chance to meet the stars of its latest production Dick Whittington and his Cat today.
Members of the Pantomime Company, based at the town theatre in Stockwell Head, were due to be on hand to give the youngsters an access all areas view of the goings-on.
John Hill, chairman of the Pantomime Company – set up 16 years ago when a previous ensemble disbanded – said: "It will be great fun.
"We might reveal some of the secrets of the magic of pantomime as the idea is to hook them to keep them coming."
Visitors were being encouraged to take cameras to the access all areas session at the theatre, from 10am until noon.
Mr Hill said: "Aladdin was the first panto I was involved with at the Concordia and that is my favourite."
John, who is producing and directing Dick Whittington, said he wanted to help convince the youngsters that the theatre was just as much fun as messing about on an electronic gadget.
John, 56, who runs his own costume hire business, said that putting on a pantomime over the years had been something of a pantomime.
He said: "On occasions if it could go wrong it did go wrong.
"One year at one of our matinee performances we were minus a very important member of the cast just before the show was due to start. So we sent a delegation to his house who dragged him out of bed." The theatre also marked the 40th panto show with a gala performance last Sunday.
The panto Dick Whittington and his Cat, which runs until February 2, is almost completely sold out.
For ticket details, call 07528 231379 or visit:
www.pantomimecompany.com
