When MADC's Beauty and the Beast opens at Teatru Manoel on 22 December, it will herald the return of one of Malta's favourite festive traditions at the national theatre: the MADC Christmas pantomime.

The island's longest-running theatre company has redefined English-language panto in Malta for decades, with its annual offering as highly anticipated for its breathtaking sets and costumes as it is for its hilarious plots, talented performers and timeless music.

However, for this year's return of the MADC panto to Teatru Manoel for the first time since 2007, the costumes and set must be bigger and better than ever - and costume designer Denise Mulholland and set designer Matthew Cassar are ready to rise to the challenge.

"Panto is known for being extravagant and spectacular, so as a designer you need to keep your audience on the edge of their seat until the curtain falls," says Cassar. "This is a real treat for any set designer as it allows you to go above and beyond, while exploring your creativity - the sky's the limit!"

"Our job is to take the audience on a journey," Mulholland agrees. "To suspend their disbelief for the duration of the show and lead them into the magical world of Beauty and the Beast. Costume is such an important factor in creating this magic. It's all about the power of transformation and costumes and set can create whole new worlds."

Written and directed by Chiara Hyzler, the show also boasts musical director Kris Spiteri, choreographer Francesco Nicodeme and vocal coach Analise Cassar in its creative team alongside Mulholland and Cassar, bringing together a formidable list of leading theatre practitioners.

"I started working on Beauty and the Beast in January last year. This is my favourite fairytale of all time, so it was a real bucket list moment for me, and such a privilege to design for the oldest working theatre in Europe," explains Cassar. "Any design process has three key milestones: when you present your designs to the cast and crew - very nervously in my case! This is always special as, after months of hard work, you can see the reactions of the people who will be living in the world that you created. Then we build the scale model and, finally, all the elements come together on the prestigious Teatru Manoel stage. That's truly a fairytale moment!"

Drawing from Belle's passion for reading, the show's aesthetic revolves around the concept of a pop-up book, leaning into a traditional fairytale feel with Baroque-style costumes - and plenty of panto magic.

Meanwhile, bringing these designs to life on stage in Beauty and the Beast is an extraordinary cast of performers led by veteran panto dame Alan Montanaro. Joining him in the star-studded ensemble are other panto stalwarts and newcomers, including Hannah Spiteri as Belle and Gianluca Mifsud as the Beast, as well as Jasmine Farrugia, Francesco Nicodeme, Maria Buckle and Rambert Attard.

Having such experienced performers on stage helps the vast backstage team to run like clockwork, Mulholland shares. "Behind the scenes is actually very organised! There are so many moving parts to the show and it's crucial to keep everything running smoothly. Everyone has their job, from the stage manager to the dresser, from the choreographer to the crew member operating the flies, from the wigs stylist to the makeup artist. Quick changes can be stressful: sometimes a character has 30 seconds to change costume completely, including shoes, jewellery and wig. A team of people wait in the wings with everything ready to go. Imagine the way the teams change the tyres in the Grand Prix - it's a bit like that, but with more sequins!"

And with those sequins comes festive magic, she finishes. "This story is magical - and we hope the world we've created will bring that magic to life this Christmas."

MADC's pantomime 'Beauty and the Beast' performs at Teatru Manoel, Valletta, from 22 December 2023 to 7 January 2024, with matinee and evening performances available. Booking is open at www.teatrumanoel.mt. Tickets for performances on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 January 2024 benefit from a 10% discount. This production is supported by Benna, Dee Spas and Welbee's. Suitable for audiences aged 3 and over.