Pantomime animals appear in many of the traditional pantomimes.
Jack has a cow in Jack and the Beanstalk and Dick
Whittington has his famous cat. There are also pantomime horses,
geese and dogs.
In the 19th century, some actors specialised in performing
animal roles, which were known as 'skin parts'. Victorian
animal impersonators included those pictured below, Fred Fitzroy
and Johnny Fuller.
We have an interview with Dick Whittington's cat played by
Mr Charles Lauri. This first appeared in a newspaper called
The Sketch on March 15 1893. An actor is reading
the part of Mr Lauri.
Introduction
