Nothing says 'Christmas is here' more than billboards and sponsored Facebook posts advertising the upcoming pantos. In fact, over the past decade, tens of thousands have flocked to various venues to get their yearly fix of political satire, witty one-liners and double entendres.
The main character at each panto remains the fabulously-clad Dame, who, with her over-the-top character and characteristics, wins the hearts of audiences and acts as a voice of sarcastic reason on behalf of those watching the show. Yet the baddie deserves just as much praise - after all, without him or her, there wouldn't even be a story.
In this year's FM Theatre panto, which will be taking place at the Manoel, it's director and actor Stephen Oliver who will be playing the part of the Sheriff of Hawn M'hawn Xejn, a fictional village within the world of Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood.
"The director, Chris Gatt, wanted me to play it very much in the style of Blackadder from the BBC, in that, to all of the peasants and his henchmen, he is cruel and uncompromising but, in the presence of his boss, Queen Pif Schriha, he is, of course, a complete coward... Even though he would do anything to settle for a quiet life," Stephen reveals.
"On top of all this, Edward Mercieca and Chris had this idea that he is also a failed British Shakespearean actor, prone to misquoting the Bard in the most appalling way and this is, in a sense, the running gag in the show."
Stephen, of course, is no newbie to the baddie role having played the parts of King Rat, Abanazar and the Evil Squire in past productions.
"I jumped at the opportunity," he exclaims. "Pantomime presents actors with very different challenges and not all actors can carry it off. The unique style of pantomime requires a different sense of comedy timing and portrayal of characters, yet behind the slightly larger-than-life characters, there is a truth."
Having been in the industry for over 25 years, Stephen knows exactly what he's talking about, of course. As an actor, he's trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and he's worked as a professional actor and director in the UK, the USA and Europe.
Stephen is also an award-winning director, and his directorial credits include Festen at Blue Box, Butterflies Are Free at St James Cavalier, and the critically-acclaimed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the Manoel Theatre in Malta, as well as 'Allo 'Allo, Equus, Twelve Angry Men, A Clockwork Orange, Animal Farm, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream in the UK, to name but a very few.
He's also had a pretty successful international career, and he's directed Godspell at the National Theatre in Split, Croatia and the Municipal Theatre in Calais, France, as well as West Side Story, Sweeney Todd and Cabaret at the Kimble Theatre in Virginia, USA. While, as an actor, Stephen's credits include George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Iago in Othello, Ahab in Moby Dick and Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar.
"As a young boy, pantomime was my introduction to the theatre; an experience that gave me the inspiration and drive to begin the long journey to becoming a professional actor," he says. "For many young people today, this too could be their first experience of the magic of theatre.
"Traditional pantomime, however, is an endangered form, particularly in the UK, where producers just cram TV 'celebrities' into a pantomime with a tenuous storyline to accommodate them, knowing that the audiences will be happy to pay to see someone off the telly.
"Even so, in its true form, the traditional pantomime needs none of this; with a good storyline, talented performers and a smattering of saucy humour and political satire - not a new thing, mind you, the Greeks were doing it centuries ago - colourful costumes and an opportunity for the audience to be heard, it provides an exciting and magical few hours of entertainment."
As one can imagine, rehearsals for the pantomime are great fun, with loads of laughter taking place behind the scenes; yet it is also an incredibly demanding performance, and it's very important that everyone taking part and helping out is disciplined.
"Chris Gatt was keen that the Dame [played by Edward Mercieca] and I, in the true style of the traditional pantomime, provided a high proportion of the comic relief and gave me the green light to improvise the running gag, much, it would seem, to the amusement of the cast," he explains.
Ultimately, the panto remains a Christmas tradition that is akin to mince pies, shopping in Sliema and the vetches cradling the Baby Jesus; and it's because of that that it brings families together to enjoy a few hours of side-splitting comedy in the form of - dare I use the word - high-end entertainment.
"Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood, true to form of other FM Productions is a lavish, innovative, traditional family pantomime in the truest sense. The audience is transported through many lands, meeting our hero Robin Hood [played by Maxine Aquilina] and his Merry Men, Maid Marion, the baddies, the Good Fairy, the down trodden villagers of Hawn M'hawn Xejn and even some dinosaurs on the way and I am delighted to be part of it.
"Also - and I never thought I'd say this - don't forget to 'boo' me lots, after all, I am the bad guy!" he concludes.
Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood will take place at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta over the Christmas period. It will be performed on 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 December 2015, and again between 2 and 4 January 2016, at both 3pm and 8pm. Tickets cost between €18.50 and €27.50 and can be purchased from http://www.teatrumanoel.com.mt/
QUOTE:
"As a young boy, pantomime was my introduction to the theatre."