The Manoel Theatre has removed the monopoly that the Malta Amateur Dramatic Club (MADC) had to produce the annual pantomime at the theatre, which has now opened it to other production houses.
Differences had arisen with the Manoel management committee after the committee asked for an increase of Lm5,000 (e11,647) in the price charged to the production house for producing the pantomime, taking the price up to Lm25,000 (e58,234).
The theatre management committee’s chairman, Peter Fenech, told a news conference yesterday that various factors had led to the price increase, including the ever rising theatre costs. The decision was also taken so as not to increase prices for the theatre going public.
“The Manoel’s aim was never to make a profit, since it pumps every penny made into culture,” said Dr Fenech. “The board’s decision to raise hiring fees solely for the Christmas pantomime and not for other productions at the theatre was a conscious decision to support cultural activities which could have been affected by a rise in their costs,” Dr Fenech said.
The Manoel subsidises various productions, including operas, recitals, drama in Maltese and children’s productions, which always run at a loss, amounting globally to thousands of euros every year, Dr Fenech said.
Moreover, the costs of restoration projects and refurbishments in dressing and rehearsal rooms are also made good for by the theatre itself.
Over the years, the MADC had had a monopoly in the production of the Manoel pantomime, which was started originally by the Ariel Players decades ago. After the British Forces left, MADC had taken over the production and popularised it over the years, always packing the theatre.
In April last year, the Manoel reached an agreement with MADC and Masquerade, another theatre production house which had expressed an interest in staging the pantomime at the theatre, removing the monopoly.
Three companies, including MADC and Masquerade, eventually expressed interest in staging the pantomime, after a public call was issued. Since all parties met the criteria outlined, and agreement was not reached between MADC and Masquerade to decide which company of the two was to run this year’s production, the Manoel Committee drew lots to decide this year’s organiser.
Luck went to the MADC for this year’s pantomime, to Masquerade for the following year and to FM Theatre Production Ltd for the third year.
The MADC subsequently withdrew, citing as its reason the price increase imposed by the Manoel management committee.
Dr Fenech described the statement as “unjust since theatre companies were paying themselves, as artists and authors, hundreds if not thousands of euros in fees to put up these shows”.
The government had also announced a 13 per cent decrease in VAT for cultural events. Thus, any company staging the pantomime during the coming season would benefit from the change since ticket prices would remain the same.
Until four years ago, theatre prices were so low that the Manoel was actually subsidising the most popular cultural event at the theatre, Dr Fenech said. In light of this, the management committee decided to raise prices during the past three years and again this year.
It was made clear that MADC and Masquerade thought the new prices to be too high, although the latter still decided to take on the production and produce Jack and the Beanstalk as the pantomime for the coming season, instead of MADC, and again for the following season, 2009-2010.