At a time of year when most cats are content to simply knock down the Christmas tree, Masquerade’s feline hero in Puss in Boots aims to bring the house down instead. And, in one memorable instance, an actor.

My first viewing of the shows was unfortunately cut short when Joe Depasquale’s villainous ogre Gleddingfield was defeated by that most universal of enemies: gravity. However, it’s just not Christmas without a panto – and I was lucky enough to be invited to view the play for a second time.

While the first act of the show seemed to chug along nicely – even on a second viewing – with the action moving along quickly from one scene to another, I was disappointed to find that the second act lagged behind somewhat.

Although writer and Dame Malcolm Galea consistently turns out some of the wittiest lines ever heard in local pantos, he allows the plot to meander somewhat too often. A little zaniness is never out of place in a panto, but not (I feel) at the cost of the pacing and energy of the show.

Despite the somewhat plodding second half, the show is kept on its feet by a strong cast, including Galea himself as Queen Shalayna. While panto is often allowed to become a vehicle for the Dame, there are strong performances all around – particularly from Katherine Brown’s titular Puss and Stephen Oliver’s  wonderfully nasty baddie, Azmali Parada. I haven’t enjoyed boo-ing a villain quite so much in a long time.

As our feline hero, Brown shines. True to her panto pedigree, she knows how to get the crowd on her side and have the kiddies eating out of her hand… err, paw.

The only downside to Puss was a slightly lacklustre transformation scene, involving a spinning box and some flashing lights that rather failed to impress.

Unfortunately, this was not the only transformation scene in the show and they did not improve much with time. In a show with otherwise strong visuals and some lovely lighting, these effects were sadly on the shabby side and seemed unpolished.

Of course it’s just not a panto if there isn’t a sweeter-than-a-box-of-Baci love story to go along with it. This year’s love-struck duo is brave miller’s daughter Jenny (played with pluck by Tina Rizzo) and flouncy prince Pompadour (Anton Saliba). The pair are an excellent choice, as the show’s principal boy and girl: they’re both clearly talented, very likeable, and they’ve got great chemistry… even when their characters can’t stand each other.

There’s no denying the fact that excited kids of all ages cheered for the whole three hours of the performance

It’s also refreshing to get to watch a principal girl who drives her own plot forward and kicks some butt in the process.

Rounding out our team of intrepid adventurers is Joseph Zammit, dipped in orange self-tanner and doing an enjoyably silly Donald Trump impression as King Trumpadon. Thank you, America, for providing panto jokes that just write themselves! With his feet firmly planted on the stage this time, Joe Depasquale was both ferocious and funny as nasty ogre Gleddingfield, while Analise Cassar got to show off her lovely voice in Fairy Fafnee’s surprisingly catchy rendition of Che Sera.

While Galea excels at writing hilarious lyrics, the music for me was a little bit hit-and-miss. There were great songs that fit perfectly into their scenes, but others felt as though they’d just been shoe-horned into the show to give the chorus something to do.

Unfortunately, I felt that despite the efforts made by musical director Kris Spiteri and the rest of the orchestra, the songs simply did not fit in every scene.

To the great credit of the chorus, their energy was strong throughout, and the choreography by Elena Zammit particularly showed off their talent. Though they felt a little under-utilised, Galea’s writing and Anthony Bezzina’s direction still gives them their well-deserved moments to shine.

Overall, I enjoy pantos – and like every good panto, Puss in Boots is replete with silliness. For one thing, the Malta-flavoured altered lyrics to pop classic We Didn’t Start The Fire will be in my head for a good long time.

That being said, there can be too much of a good thing, and some aspects of the show could have used a little trimming and tightening. While I enjoyed the performances of Gianni Selvaggi as adorably ineffective musketeer Woodhouse, and Michela Mifsud and Michela Farrugia as hench-goblins Mossack and Fonseca, they felt like they existed for the sake of one joke, rather than to actively contribute to the show.

Pantos have come a pretty long way since I did my first one – when I and my fellow chorus members stumbled through our dance routines and didn’t have a lick of competition to worry about.

These days, the shows seem to get bigger and more extravagant every year, providing spectacular fun for the whole family.

So, while this grumpy reviewer (ba humbug) may be calling for a trim, there’s no denying the fact that excited kids of all ages boo-ed and cheered for the whole three hours of the performance. Is that what panto is all about? Oh no it isn’t. Oh yes it is!