It is supposed to be a treat for children, one of the few occasions that they can go to the national theatre. For many, it is the first time that they watch a drama presentation at the Manoel Theatre.

It is supposed to be an occasion they remember, one of the events they look forward to during their Christmas holi-days, a chance to have a good laugh with their siblings and their parents. In other words, a family outing.

Yet, this year’s pantomime was far from being a child-ren’s activity. Many of the children were disappointed, many of the parents rather embarrassed with the questions children were asking during the performance.

This is because, although the story was traditionally based on a fairy-tale, this year Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the production clearly targeted the adult population. There was little the children could follow and

understand.

What used to distinguish the Manoel Theatre pantomime from other, similar presentations in other theatres was the fact that it was more “serious”, more child-friendly, certainly less vulgar.

But this year, the producers thought it fit to include a sexual innuendo every two minutes, culminating in that appalling playing-with-shadows part when a member of the audience was asked to go on stage.

Nobody would have batted an eyelid if the presentation had been restricted to adults. But the play was open to children too, and the producers should have kept this in mind when coming up with their stunts.

Of course, those who have been to the pantomime regularly know that such jokes have been made in the past too. But, first of all, they were fewer in number and, secondly, they were cleverly hidden in-between hilarious moments for the children. This enabled the adults to understand the double meaning of the situation while the children were also enjoying themselves. This time, the innuendos were not hidden and neither were they clever.

What happened this year gave one the impression that the play was earmarked for adults. Those adults who went there on their own might have enjoyed its vulgarity; those who went there with their children were at times embarrassed and overall disappointed that what should have been an entertaining evening for their kids did not turn out to be so.

Our children are, day in day out, bombarded with violence and sex on television. The pantomime was a chance for them to watch something free of such violence and sex. OK, there was no violence in the pantomime, but there

certainly was sex. Too much of it, we reiterate.

The producers also thought fit to have the protagonist of the story, Snow White, dressed up in mini-skirts, hardly portraying the “princess” type of character children are

normally accustomed to.

She was more of a Paceville-type teenager, and the children, especially the girls, could not identify in her the princess of their dreams.

Of course, the producers had the right to move away from tradition and come up with something different, but aren’t we expecting our children to grow up too fast? Why can we not let them enjoy their childhood more, dream of a pure world and let them believe that fairy-tales are “reality”, as we all did when we were their age? There will be time enough for Paceville.

One wonders what the Manoel Theatre board and the censors thought about the pantomime. One feels that they should have realised that this year’s presentation was not fit for children, and they should have asked the producers to soften some parts and eliminate others completely.

The pantomime should remain as an event mainly targeted at children, and their innocence should not be harmed in any way.