As MADC’s Ebenezer Scrooge! The Panto gets set to delight audiences this Christmas, writer, performer and Maltese panto icon ALAN MONTANARO shares how he helps to make the magic of pantomimes a festive favourite.
MADC’s annual pantomimes have long been a beloved Christmas tradition in Malta, bringing families together for a festive mix of laughter, larger-than-life characters and feel-good fun.
This year’s production promises to be no different, with Ebenezer Scrooge! The Panto set to delight audiences as the first festive panto at the newly refurbished Salesian Theatre.
For Alan Montanaro – a name as synonymous with panto in Malta as MADC’s – the inspiration for writing the show came from a place of great admiration for the original story.
“Hats off to Charles Dickens for penning one of the best morality tales ever written,” he smiles. And while the Christmas setting of the story provided the perfect backdrop for the panto, the challenge arose in introducing a Dame and a true baddy into the show, without destroying the magic of this timeless festive tale. “I believe we’ve succeeded,” he vouches.
“Ebenezer Scrooge! The Panto has a great mix of spooks and sparks, darkness and light, sadness and joy. And huge belly laughs!”
Performing at the Salesian Theatre is yet another highlight Montanaro is excited about for this year’s performance run.
“The building was a staple of my childhood, as the entire neighbourhood would spend their Sunday afternoons there watching terrible Westerns or badly dubbed Kung Fu movies,” he recalls. “What absolutely joyful times those were.”
A hallmark of Montanaro’s panto performances is his iconic Dame character, a role he also plays in Ebenezer Scrooge! The Panto. “I’m not sure how it happened,” he admits, reminiscing on the origins of his journey to becoming Malta’s favourite panto Dame.
“Organically, I suppose. It’s certainly nothing I set out to achieve. I was raised on a very robust diet of British sitcoms and comedy shows and that rubbed off on me in a big way. I also work on the presumption that if I find something funny, other people will too.”
Although the Dame is something of a caricature, there are characteristics that people will recognise of a quintessentially loveable Maltese girl, explains Montanaro. “She is simultaneously strong yet naïve, a little naughty but never offensive, extremely direct yet always likeable.”
He also attributes the popularity of the Dame to the character’s universal appeal: “In a nutshell, the Dame is that one character who’s there for the kids as well as for the grown-ups, which makes it great fun.”
Joining Montanaro in bringing this vibrant Christmas story to life is a talented ensemble cast including Stephen Oliver, Edward Caruana Galizia, Chantelle Micallef Grimaud, Joe Depasquale, Noel Zarb, Vanessa Attard, Franco Sciberras and Mandy Randon, among many others.
“I’m not called for the bulk of the singing and dancing rehearsals (because I try to spare the audience by omitting myself from as many songs and dances as possible), so when I finally get to see the work that’s been done – especially from our incredible ensemble – it always blows me away,” adds Montanaro.
Leading the creative team of Ebenezer Scrooge! The Panto is director Steve Casaletto, with musical director Ryan Paul Abela, choreographer Martina Galea, costume designer Nicole Cuschieri and set designer Claudio Apap. Reflecting on this year’s rehearsal process, Montanaro is full of praise for the cast and creative team.
“Preparations for any show involve a process of dips and highs, mountains and valleys and there are times when you feel it’s not going as intended,” he shares. “But plans started earlier than usual this year and we have an excellent team of creatives manning the show – and it’s looking fantastic.”
With two extra performances added on December 27 and January 5 to meet the high demand for tickets, everyone has the chance to celebrate the Christmas season with this heart-warming and hilarious adventure.
And what is it about panto that keeps audiences coming back, year after year? “I don’t wish to speculate,” Montanaro answers, with his characteristic grin, “but I will quote a letter from an elderly woman, who wrote to thank me because panto was the only show that four generations had ever enjoyed as a family.”
MADC’s Ebenezer Scrooge! The Panto performs in English at the Salesian Theatre, Sliema, from December 26 to January 5, with both matinee and evening performances available. Booking is now open at madc.com.mt. Children under the age of three will not be permitted inside the theatre. This production is supported by Dee Spas Wellness, Welbee’s Supermarket, Elia Caterers, 89.7 Bay and Bay Easy.