Pantomime is often seen as something quaint ... and fairgrounds to tell stories of the old man Pantalone, the clown Pierrot, and Columbine - the girl in love with the naughty servant Arlecchino.

But pantomime is not the most modern of affairs ... Colombina, Scaramouche or Pierrot; and the Harlequin. In the 17th Century, adaptations of these characters became familiar in English theatre ...