What happens when the honeymoon period wears off? Buddy Thomas’s play Wonderland Wives, which he conceived with Philip A. Poluliah, explores just this idea in a rollickingly hilarious send up of traditional fairy tales and their subsequent Disneyfication.

Director Francesca Briffa put together an excellent cast for this production – in what is becoming something of a new trend in theatre over the past several years – putting up a performance which follows the generally accepted conventions of a panto several months into the year.

The storybook setting, the use of drag, the adult-themed jokes all make for a very specific brand of bawdy, occasionally banal, but satisfyingly light comedy which local audiences seem to love.

It certainly went down very well the night I attended, and in this respect, I think MADC has struck upon a strong formula for filling their theatre.

Jean Pierre Busuttil and Stefan Farrugia.

The off-stage team was as strong as the on-stage one, with Briffa’s vision backed by Isabel Warrington’s set design and Nicole Cuschieri’s costumes, which, complemented by Michael & Guy’s wings and hair, combined to make the magical trip into a dysfunctional fairyland extremely entertaining in its over-the-top cheeky, kinky quirks.

The premise is that the fairytale princesses are living a drab mess not a dream. Ten years in, their happily ever after has become a happily never after, and they’re not happy about it.

Jean Pierre Busuttil and Pia Zammit

Cinderella has let herself go after she found Prince Charming was having an affair with the Little Mermaid and he was arrested and imprisoned for sex-trafficking Alice (of Wonderland fame).

Now that he’s back, Charming is rearing for sex and looks very attractive after hitting the prison gym. All the disillusioned princesses want a piece of him – and he is very happy to oblige.

The off-stage team was as strong as the on-stage one

With three big names doing drag and getting the laughs – Jean-Pierre Busuttil’s Belle has had enough of her husband, Bruce (the Beast), and wants a divorce; Joe Depasquale’s angry Cinderella has had enough of love and eats her feelings while biting people’s heads off with her nasty comments. Both actors provided their much-liked signature brand of hilarity focusing on character traits they do very well.

Jean Pierre Busuttil, Stephen Oliver and Pia Zammit

The cast member who surprised me the most was Stephen Oliver who showed yet another aspect of his versatility with his multiple-character doubling. Whether Fairy Godmother, Magic Mirror, Evil Queen or the completely cuckoo, drugged-up Alice, Oliver’s performances were incredibly hilarious.

The ever positive and hopeful Snow White (Pia Zammit) attempts to appease her fellow princesses but Cindy is having none of it, and turns properly villainous in her plan to get her revenge on Charming, who is happy to divorce her and quickly propose to the freshly arrived Briar Rose aka Sleeping Beauty, played by Kate De Cesare.

There is no other way to say it, but Charming grinds his way into a menage a cinq with the lustful Belle and Rose vying for his prowess while the unhinged Alice and obliging Snow get swept along with the others as Snow’s castle becomes a very catty love-pad.

Pia Zammit, Stephen Oliver and Joe Depasquale

While the audience clearly enjoyed the show and its admittedly funny take on the twee and traditional, what I genuinely enjoyed was the cast’s obviously strong dynamic which is based on their off-stage friendships.

De Cesare’s entitled Rose contrasted well with De Pasquale’s angry Cindy – which he did brilliantly. Think of it as a biker dad playing princess dress-up with his little girl and being interrupted by the annoyances of daily life.

Zammit’s naïve Snow is equally fun to see as she played the innocent with such tongue-in-cheek coquettishness.

As for Oliver’s Alice and Busuttil’s Belle, those were a treat: from the realist, disillusioned comments of one to the doolaly behaviour of the other.

Wonderland Wives made for a fun, relaxed night out – for the grownups still in touch with their naughty inner child.