MADC is breaking with tradition and moving its pantomime to the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre, Ta' Qali, after 30 years of staging it at the Manoel Theatre.

The pantomime, The Remarkable Voyage Of Sinbad - The Tailor, by Alan Montanaro, will be marking a new and exciting chapter as the club approaches its 100th anniversary.

The original storyline kicks off with Sinbad, a young tailor, who packs his inch-tape to set off on a magical quest to rescue Princess Shanti, who has been kidnapped by an evil sorceress with a plan to take over the world. He is joined by a motley troupe of funny characters, including the return of the lovable yet outrageous Dame Żeża. Good always triumphs over evil in the end, but not before the band of unlikely heroes face some riotous situations.

"Writing a totally original script is always a bit of a challenge," Mr Montanaro said.

"However, it also offers a carte blanche to be as creative as you can. I think with The Remarkable Voyage Of Sinbad - The Tailor we have succeeded in capturing all the elements of a traditional panto while raising the bar a few notches with more laughter, more magic and more special effects to ensure that this year's show will be unforgettable."

The MADC panto, the longest running show in Malta, has been a popular Christmas tradition bringing families together for one night of unabashed fun. Over the last 30 years MADC has played to more than 145,000 people during 220 fun-packed shows.

Artistic director Wesley Ellul said the stage and seating area at the MFCC have been meticulously planned to secure a sense of intimacy.

Panto dame extraordinaire, Mr Montanaro himself, will spearhead the show and the cast includes top actors Isabel Warrington, Steffan Cheriet Busuttil, Nanette Brimmer, Katherine Brown, Ralph Mangion, Rachel Darmanin Demajo, David Ellul Mercer, Jean Pierre Agius, Renato Dimech, Adrian Gatt and newcomer Eliza Borg apart from an all-singing, all-dancing chorus of 28 talented performers.

The crew will be led by veteran director Fredrick Testa and choreographed by Alison White.

Musical direction is in the hands of Paul Abela. Oscar winner Peter Howitt is handling set design. Costume designs are in the hands of Noel Zarb and the dame's outfits are being created by John Williams. Lino Mallia will be stage manager.

The move to the MFCC has allowed MADC to reduce the price of its tickets without compromising the quality of the show. Tickets, which go on sale today, range from €10 to €17 and can be purchased online from www.madc.biz.

The show opens on December 19. For more information log on to www.pantomalta.com or send an e-mail to info@pantomalta.com.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.