Theatre
The Princess and the Pea
MFCC
Christmas isn’t exactly the season you normally associate with peas… unless they’re of the pease-porridge hot variety, and even then, whoever considers hot mushy peas a delicacy must have a very limited knowledge of the Christmas goodies which make our lives a little bit sweeter and our waistlines a whole lot wider.
As far as pantos go, this one was traditional right down to its styling – with a particular feel to Peter Howitt’s storybook set and costume design- André Delicata
One pea that certainly isn’t mushy this year, is the one which serves as the central image of a much-loved traditional Christmas goody: the pantomime. MADC’s fare for this year is The Princess and the Pea, scripted by Nathan Brimmer and Maxine Calleja Urry and directed by Nanette Brimmer.
As far as pantos go, this one was traditional right down to its styling – with a particular “feel” to Peter Howitt’s storybook set and costume design.
The clever folding structures used to create the bed piled high with mattresses under which the pea lies hidden to test the hopeful girls’ royal status in their bid to marry Prince Percy (Alex Gatesy Lewis) was a visual treat; as was the shop interior where sweet Penny (Bettina Paris) lives with her grandmother, who is really her Fairy Godmother in disguise.
These two young actors played their roles with enthusiastic good cheer and really fitted the part of two young people whose love is thwarted by social conventions and the usual nasty trickery of magic. Their energy matched their strong characterisation, which was something that was clearly evident in the casting this year. Everybody from the traditional burlesque panto singers, Les Gals: Maria Cristina Caruana, Tezara Camilleri, Rebecca Sammut, Gianella Mazzola, to the main actors and the chorus gave very good interpretations.
Katherine Brown struck just the right balance in her dual role as Grandmother/Fairy Patience and was as wise as she was sassy and was a good match for Joe Depasquale’s Baddafi – Prince Percy’s evil magician uncle, who wants to steal the throne from his brother, King Philander, played by Ralph Mangion. Both Mr Depasquale and Mr Mangion pulled off the baddy and the bumbling respectively in quite a convincing manner, while Joseph Zammit’s Harry the butler made a good narrator and kindly sidekick, whose voice, along with those of Ms Paris and Ms Brown, were the best of the lot, especially in the ensemble number “Somebody to Love”, where his baritone made the most of the song, along with Ms Paris’ clear vocals.
I particularly liked Ms Brown’s rendition of “If You’re Good to (Mama) Grandma” – from the musical Chicago as well as a couple of much-loved Disney numbers by the principal boy and girl and the chorus, including a couple from the latest animated film, Tangled. Music director maestro Paul Abela upped the standard of the vocals this year, which were unfortunately marred by a problem which has become perennially annoying at MFCC – the sound balance was far too loud again, which resulted in occasionally shrill vocals on the part of the mains. My two favourite secondary characters were the baddy’s minions – Moussa and Koussa, played by Andre Agius and Marta Vella respectively.
They were the right side of loveably nasty and changed their tune to reformed niceness by the end of the show – in true panto style.
In keeping with true panto style, Guy Galea’s hair and wigs did not go unnoticed on the character who always makes panto. The crazily coiffed and attired Dame, played by Alan Montanaro, did not fail to have the audience in fits with the usual hilarious one-liners, innuendo and cheeky banter. This was especially evident in the audience-participation segments with the children and the men – where his improvisation skills had everybody in fits.
The script itself relied very heavily on “the Dame Effect” – with Mr Montanaro being used as the main crutch of the comedy in the plot. This, I’m afraid is becoming something of a habit with the fare that MADC presents every year, and while Mr Montanaro is undeniably a great dame, it would be good to see a better balance in the comic lines given to other cast members, rather than use the plot merely as a vehicle to showcase the dame.
Although several nods were made to certain You Tube and internet phenomena which I admittedly found hilarious, these jibes may not have been familiar to the entire audience, especially the not-so young, not-as-wired crowd. Less musical numbers seemed to be included too and while those performed were of a very high quality, I was a tad disappointed with the final choice for the walk down: LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem, Shufflin’ again? The Song Sheet proved to be much more entertaining – the Jackson Five’s Blame it on the Boogie, which had everyone up singing their hearts out.
That said, I really did appreciate Ms Brimmer’s meticulous attention to detail which never goes unnoticed – her perfectionist streak, along with Alison White’s excellent choreography and outrageously over-the-top costumes for the dame made by Limelight Costumes and Louie Noir, provided great visuals. I particularly enjoyed the tongue in cheek send-up of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice’s awful outfits at the “Royal Wedding” walk down.
It was on the whole, a good night out and in the end, that one little pea served its purpose and gave poor Penny such a restless night that she was proven to be the true princess she always was – getting her happy ending tasted much more like candied fruit than boiled peas.