Colourful characters add style to the MADC pantomime Cinderella.

Two larger-than-life dames in this year’s MADC pantomime – Cinderella – promise to give the audience a ball of a time.

A colourful assortment of characters adds fun and hilarity to the performance.

Jean Pierre Busuttil and Michael Mangion are the dames, and Rachael Tedesco Triccas plays Cinderella herself. Izzy Warrington is the nasty Baroness and Renato Dimech her hapless husband. Prince Charming is none other than Sandie Von Brockdorff.

The chorus is also there, of course.

“Cinderella is absolutely brimming with magic,” says director Chris Gatt, “and it’s not only the occasional flying fairy (played by Francesca Briffa) who will weave her magic but Buttons too – as actor James Ryder has won a few magic competitions in his time.

The MADC cast and crew made it a point to come up with a panto that an intergenerational audience would love and remember.

And who can forget the fairytale coach that will whisk Cinderella off to the ball? It is another magical element in the show.

Mr Gatt said the cast and crew made it a point to come up with a panto that an intergenerational audience would love and remember, with the venue – the MFCC in Ta’ Qali – being transformed into a Victorian toy theatre, complete with a catwalk.

The MADC panto is considered to be the oldest on the island, with a history that dates back to British rule in Malta.

The MADC says many of its panto’s time-honoured conventions remain.

Cinderella opened on December 22 and runs until January 2 (except Sunday), with daily matinee and evening shows.

Find more details at www.madc.com.mt.