Panto is back in action at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre, with the MADC’s annual contribution to the much-loved Christmas tradition. An all-round spectacular, the show is packed from start to finish with silly jokes for the kids, sneaky double entendres for the adults and more glitzy costumes than a Cher concert.
Written and directed by panto veteran Malcolm Galea, this year’s romp is a tale of curses, hidden treasure and fabulously-dressed pirates based (with the expected liberties taken) on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island.
The script is witty enough to keep you chuckling well after you’ve pulled your last Christmas cracker this year, taking aim at both the low-hanging fruit of this year’s local political disasters, as well as some truly clever word-play and slow-burning puns and put-downs.
The script races rather breezily through the well-known story, with particularly great pacing during the first half. In fact, the only thing which really seemed to slow this well-structured show for me, were some of the songs.
The music choices for this year were a bit of a mixed bag, ranging from toe-tapping hits to head-scratching misses, in some case giving choreographer Alison White precious little to work with. Personally, I feel that the inclusion of drippy New Age songstress Enya is a bit of a mood-killer in an otherwise well-paced pirate adventure and the energy from the chorus seemed to wane accordingly.
When the songs did work, though, it was impressive to watch the whole cast come together- and that’s no small feat for such a big cast. A particular standout was the uplifting Fight Song delivered by plucky principal girl Tina Rizzo, and Gilbert and Sullivan classic The Pirate King, a tricky number beautifully sung by Joseph Zammit.
If there’s one thing that the pantomimes of recent years have been excellent at showcasing, it’s the amount of talented young performers we’ve got running around on the island. There seems to be no problem each year in choosing principal boys and girls who have the whole package: they dance, sing and act and they have the charm to put the audience on their side from the get-go. Alex Gatesy Lewis as the hapless and long-suffering hero Jim Hawkins is the butt of every joke and carries the burden of all those jokes well. As the other side of the show’s romantic duo, the afore-mentioned Rizzo holds her own as the tragically cursed Miss Ħuta, who proves that she can swing a sword against even the baddest of baddies.
And, speaking of baddies: while I hear many people bemoan the fact that Alan Montanaro isn’t reprising his usual role as the Dame, he certainly doesn’t disappoint as the show’s villain. Stepping into the shoes (well, one shoe, and one peg-leg) of Long John Swagger, Montanaro is a delectably dastardly baddie with a crew of sea-faring rogues to do his bidding.
With no fewer than six salty seadogs at his side (plus Joe Depasquale’s secretly soft-hearted Billy Bones to boot), Long John Swagger has a pretty large entourage. While that may do well for the sneering pirate tyrant’s ego, it does make for a slightly bloated cast list.
The script is witty enough to keep you chuckling, taking aim at political disasters, with some truly clever word-play and slow-burning puns and put-downs
It’s easy to see how a cast can get so big- there’s a whole load of talent floating about in this seafaring tale! However, that doesn’t change the fact that aside from the swooning young lovers, the villainous baddie and Jean Pierre Busuttil’s feisty spitfire Dame, there are 14 named characters for the audience to follow. In particular, boozy mermaid duo Nettuna and Nittiena, while played well by Rebecca Camilleri and Chantelle Micallef Grimaud, felt like their narrated asides served no purpose other than to allow more time for scenery changes.
Of course, one cannot talk about panto without talking about the Dame. This year’s fierce leading ‘lady’ was played by Jean Pierre Busuttil, who has donned the panto prima donna’s oversized heels and fabulous outfits a number of times in the past. As Mama Sufia Kerapestska, Busuttil delivers a much-needed list of grown up jokes that fly right over the heads of the kids, holding her own in a put-down battle against Montanaro’s sharp-tongued baddie.
Rounding up the cast of good guys and bringing their various strengths to the table were Joseph Zammit’s pandering politician Squire Ħuta, Katherine Brown’s hilariously grandiloquent physician Dr Shipshape, and sniffling lovelorn seafarer Captain Sniffit, played by Michael Mangion.
Sitting somewhere in between our heroes and the pilfering pirates was Steffi Thake’s powerful sea witch, Salty Sue, who cut an impressive figure even at her absolute silliest. Rambert Attard (and his bouncing biceps) appeared in a short but scene-stealing role as pirate-turned-cannibal king Benny Gun.
Panto is at its heart, a spectacle. We don’t go to watch it every year to learn some deep truth of the human condition – we go to cheer the goodies, boo the baddies and watch true love triumph in the end.
Once the MADC embraced the MFCC as its Christmas venue, that spectacular feeling could truly be developed, and this year the theatre company does it in spades. The superb band was led by the irreplaceable Paul Abela, with vocal coaching for the cast by Roger Tirazona adding up to some wonderful musical moments.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the fantastic efforts of the creative crew: from Isabelle Warrington’s gorgeous costume designs to Claudio Apap’s fantastic sets, the backstage players deserve as much applause as their onstage counterparts.
With laughs all round and a feast for the ears and the eyes, this year’s Treasure Island is a tightly-packed Christmas cracker for the whole family.