In pantomime, a principal boy role is the young male protagonist of the play, traditionally played by a young actress in boy's clothes.
The tradition grew out of laws restricting the use of child actors in London theatre, and the responsibility carried by such lead roles. A Breeches role was also a rare opportunity for an early 20th Century actress to wear a revealing costume, potentially increasing the size of the audience The practice of having a female play the principal boy was becoming less common in the late 20th century, as further outlets were sought for the talents of young male pop stars and actors.
Although not written as a pantomime, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up is often produced as one with the tradition of a female principal boy continuing.
Famous quotes containing the words principal and/or boy:
“The principal thing children are taught by hearing these lullabies is respect. They are taught to respect certain things in life and certain people. By giving respect, they hope to gain self-respect and through self-respect, they gain the respect of others. Self-respect is one of the qualities my people stress and try to nurture, and one of the controls an Indian has as he grows up. Once you lose your self-respect, you just go down.”
—Henry Old Coyote (20th century)
“All that Shakespeare says of the king, yonder slip of a boy that reads in the corner feels to be true of himself.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)