Merry Poppins is not your average nanny. Summoned to take care of Governor Banks's spoilt children, she decides to up sticks with her friend Bertu and take them to a magical land to help the rather ditzy Princess Fuzzyfluff. But, of course, in typical panto-fashion, nothing goes to plan.
This, in a nutshell, is the plot of this year's MADC panto, written by Malcolm Galea, who is also taking on director duties.
"I'm absolutely loving it," Alan tells me with a smile, "I was curious - never worried - to work to someone else's script, but Malcolm is a great because we share the same sense of humour. It is a new take on one of the most popular children's stories ever written. There is magic, music, dancing and laughter. The only thing we do not have, sadly, are the dancing penguins."
Of course, political satire - pointed at whoever is currently making news headlines - is also an integral element of any good panto and audiences look forward to them. As Alan explains, however, there has to be thought behind them. These mocking remarks should be inserted into the script cleverly and with good spirit rather than merely to fill some kind of quota.
"Malcolm understands only too well that a good panto script is a fluid one, so we are forever tightening existing jokes and creating new ones according to whatever is going on in the real world. My guess is that we will be tweaking right up until the last performance - and that is how it should be!"
Although Alan loved the stage from a very early age, he was never given a leading role in school plays (a fact that used to upset him no end, as he was never given the opportunity to showcase his acting chops). Instead, at age nine, Alan wrote a play, Sneezing Time in Camelot, and gave himself the part of the evil Black Knight. The rest, as they say, is history.
Alan remembers his first panto vividly - it was Mother Goose in 1984, 30 long years ago - as a member of the chorus. Nevertheless, it was not long until he found his calling in the role of the Grande Dame. When asked how many dames he has portrayed so far, Alan replies that he has lost count.
"A rough calculation would be that I have played the Dame anything between fifteen and eighteen times," he says, "but I had taken a somewhat long break from performing when my daughter, Rebecca, was born, which is when I started writing the shows. Zeza in Sinbad is probably the Dame that people remember most. If you had to twist my arm, I would say the Dame I played in Scrooge a few years ago was my favourite."
Alan says that his favourite part of playing the Dame is probably the creative license to do what he wants on stage (within reason, of course). "I especially love the pressure of improvising when we get children up on stage because you never know what they are going to come up with! Improvising with adults is usually a little easier because, as adults, we have so many hang-ups and somewhere along the line we become predictable and careful, so it is somewhat easier to direct the witty banter."
Back to this year's performance, Alan says that the rehearsals for Merry Poppins (which is, incidentally, the MADC's 37th panto) are proving to be great fun. "We are a motley bunch of personalities, but we all bring something unique to the table and we get on like a house on fire," he says.
Another reason that Alan is enjoying the rehearsal process so much is because he is working with his nephew John Montanaro again, for the first time in a few years. "John and I cannot look into each other's eyes without falling about in hysterics. This is something that goes back to when we both performed in La Cage Aux Folles, when we had to sing an entire ballad whilst looking into each other's eyes."
Alan adds that audience members should keep an eye out during the panto for any lines that Alan or John are meant to be delivered to each other (which in theory, requires eye contact and therefore a case of hysterics). Luckily, the actors have found a solution: "You will see us focusing on an empty space somewhere just above the other's head, just in case," Alan explains with a laugh. Two Montanaros? Double the trouble for the director, double the fun for audiences.
One last question for Grande Dame Montanaro - does he ever think of hanging up his aerodynamic bra and calling it a day? "Every year," he grins, "and one day I will." Well, until that day comes, I am sure that hundreds of people, young and old, will be more than happy to be entertained by this prolific performer during the festive season.
The cast of Merry Poppins also includes Katherine Brown, Joseph Zammit, Taryn Mamo Cefai, Katja Braunei, Chiara Hyzler, Steffi Thake, Alexander Gatesy Lewis, Francesco Nicodeme, Luke Saydon and Mandy Randon, as well as a chorus of twenty energetic young performers. Music is by Paul Abela, with choreography by Alison White and costumes by Ernest Camilleri. Vocal coach is Roger Tirazona and set design is by Claudio Apap. Merry Poppins will be on at the MFCC from the 20th December to 4th January. Booking is open online www.madc.com.mt and on tel. no: 77776232