Today, most schools have broken up for the Christmas holidays.  Staff parties start to ripple concertina-like over the island.  What’s left of manufacturing companies and many offices prepare for the ‘Christmas shut down’.  Perfectly-bland people drink too much and pour their lives out to strangers.  It happens all over the world, even here.

Ask anyone with kids in tow, and the vast majority have tickets for the Christmas pantomine.  Or pantomines, as since last year, we now have two companies rolling out boys in frocks, girls with swashbuckling swords and lewd dames.  MADC has taken up residence at the MFCC with ‘Peter Panto‘ and Masquerade is at the Manoel with ‘Aladdin‘.  Both pantomines kick off today and stay in production till the first week of January 2010.

Pantomines have a rich tradition in Malta, with the MADC panto going strong for over 30 years.  The British legacy has gradually been superseded by a very Maltese version of the genre.  At face value, the pantomime ticks all the traditional check boxes of English language, story-line, sing-alongs, dames, dancing, cross-dressing and overall family fun.  But since the early eighties, the original script has been aimed at a local audience, and no opportunity is wasted to rib politicians, media personalities and society people, and most subjects are fair game (with the possible exception of the Church).

Things to look out for:

Audience Participation. People do get pulled on stage for ritual abuse, and get rewarded with a gift or two.  Some parents see this as an opportunity to propel their offspring to the local version of Hollywood fame.  If you don’t want to get roped in, avoid sitting by the aisle, as you’re then easy prey for a beady-eyed Dame.

Flying Sweets. Have a stock with you in case you’re accompanied by a young child who gets upset if the Dame does not throw some candy in his or her direction.

Length.  Prepare for a marathon session.  Last year’s MADC version ran for over four hours – far too long for most children’s attention span.

Foul-mouthed Dames.  The most legendary one in recent years is Alan Montanaro (this year playing Hook in the ‘Peter Panto’).  You need to understand a smattering of Maltese to get the full-gist of many of the ‘double-entendres.’  It can get a bit saucy, so be warned if you have your prudish Aunt in tow.

Peter Panto plays at the MFCC at Ta’ Qali from the 18th December 2009 to the 3rd January 2010.  All shows start at 8.00 pm, with matinees on Saturday 26th December and Sunday 3rd January at 3.00 pm. There are no performances on the 24th, 25th and 31st December and the 1st January. Ticket prices start at Euro 10, with discounts for kids aged 10 and under. Click here to book online or call 79796232.

Aladdin plays at the Manoel Theatre from the 18th December 2009 to the 6th January 2010.  All shows start at 7.30pm, except for Saturdays and Sundays, with matinees at 3pm and evening shows at 8.00pm.  There are no performances on the 24th, 25th and 31st December and the 1st January.  Check the Manoel Theatre site for ticket prices and availability.

More ideas for amusing the kid inside you over the Christmas period on this page.

Notte Bianca isn’t the only weekend a year it’s worth visiting Valletta to get a cultural fix. You know autumn has set in, chillier evenings aside, when Valletta venues start packing in the events. And this weekend is no exception. We’ve done a quick round-up of some of the highlights that are worth heading to il-Belt for this Sunday. Halloween flavoured of course, but with some music and drama thrown in. Whether you’re going to the capital for morning coffee and newspapers or a post-prandial stroll and tea, try to make time for, and support, something cultural while you’re there.

The First Malta Comic Book Convention

31 October – 1 November
Entry: €7 per day, €12 both days. Children under 11 enter for free.
This is history in the making as it’s the first such convention held in Malta. A friend’s daughter, who is participating with her own art work, is ‘very excited’ to be rubbing shoulders with David Lloyd who did the art for the comic versions of “V for Vendetta”, “Time Bandits” and the “Dr Who” magazine which is published in the USA. That gives you a flavour of what’s in store. Just about everything to do with comics is going to be showcased at the two-day event. Other comic industry names include: Staz Johnson (Spider Man, Wolverince); Mike Collins (Doomsday, American Gothic); Yanick Paquette (X-Men, Superman); and Brian Bolland (Batman, Wonder Woman); and Sean Azzopardi (Twelve Hour Shift). Full details, see St James Cavalier website.

Scream for Halloween

Sunday 1 November: midday, 3pm & 6pm shows. Price euro 10.
Kids’ drama performance at St James Cavalier, billed as ‘the original Malta-Made Musical Monster Show’; suitable for kids aged 6. As with almost all drama aimed at youngsters these days in Malta, tickets for this sold like hot cakes. So much so in fact that there’s now an extra performance Sunday 1 November at midday. So it’s still worth checking for availability if you thought you’d missed out. See St James Cavalier website or call the box office: 2122 3200

Valletta Waterfront Halloween

Every Saturday and Sunday from 1-4pm, the Waterfront hosts family entertainment and street animation. This Sunday 1st Nov. should be taking on a Halloween guise. See vallettawaterfront.com for more info.

And now for something different…

St Catherine of Italy Chapel – Sunday morning concerts

Sunday 1 November: Baroque Jewels for Flute & Harpsichord.
Works by: Valentine; Telemann; Vivaldi; & Blavet.
Entrance: free, but Euro 5 donation appreciated.
Don’t forget about this gem of chapel and its wonderful lunchtime concert programme that’s become a regular winter feature, running Thursdays at 12.30 and Sundays at 11am. Details from St James Cavalier.

After winning the Francis Ebejjer award earlier this year for her play Appuntamenti, 26-year-old Simone Spiteri – actress, playwright and artistic director of all-female theatre group Du’ – secured a place for the group on the local theatre circuit.

Du’s uniqueness lies in the group’s dynamics – their past performances were characterised by an all-female ensemble backed up by eccentric musicians. Appuntamenti introduces three men into the dynamic, and diverges again from Du’s past performances by having only two of the original group members acting in it.

The six characters in Appuntamenti are all linked to each other. They are all taken for granted by their partners so they decide to look elsewhere for attraction, approval and attention. Garcia Marquez’s classic Love in the Time of Cholera is a theme that binds. It is seen as a weapon of seduction by the typical male and as a textbook of insight by another. The ‘under appreciated’ meet the maladjusted at the bus stop. The only problem is that they all choose the same time and the same place. What can this lead to? Watch and find out. But be assured that waiting at a bus stop will never be the same again.

Venue & Tickets: Appuntamenti runs from from 16 – 18 & 23 – 25, October, at St. James Cavalier, Valletta. Tickets are Euros 15 each and the play starts at 20.00hrs.

Reviews: If you’ve not gone yet, but might on the second weekend the play runs, see Andrei’s comment below – it’s a review/crit of the play.

It’s not a diary date most of us know about, but 17 October is the International Day for Eradication of Poverty. But it might be indelibly imprinted on our minds this year thanks to the number of events and activities happening locally in Malta to not only mark the day, but educate us and galvanise us into year-long action on poverty issues. There are events to simply stand up and be counted at; arts events such as photographic exhibitions and drama productions to sensitise us to poverty even where we’d least expect it; and debates and discussion sessions.

The key protagonist of the day in Malta is the STOPoverty! Neqirdu l-Faqar Campaign; the national coalition of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) international campaign. The global campaign sees the 17 October as the day for civil society to remind and put pressure on governments to keep the promises and commitments of the Millennium Declaration, which was adopted by 189 nations during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000. One of the Millennium Development’s main goals is to see the ending of poverty by the year 2015 – so not that long off to achieve!

Some of the more innovative events marking the day include the theatre production Ceda l-Imbatt, by Theatrencore on 17 October at MITP, St. Christopher Street, Valletta, at 20:00hrs. The production, in Maltese, focuses on poverty faced by small-scale fishermen in the Mediterranean region. It shows that poverty is on our doorstep, as well as further afield. All types have their victims, and need responses.

For a full programme of events to mark the Stop Poverty day and more information on the campaign, see: www.stopovertymalta.org. Or email: Angie Farrugia, tel: 79756701 or Mario Gerada,tel: 79342328.

If you’re looking for an alternative evening this weekend, head down to the MITP theatre in St Christopher Street Valletta, for Grace u Rofflu, the latest offering from rubberbodies.

This performance is the product of a series of improvisation workshops and charts the relationship between two characters, Grace and Rofflu. Through movement, theatre, music and visual art, this is a labyrinth of magical and dark-tinted scenes, exploring hidden feelings, domestic violence and loss.

The two performers will be accompanied by a cello and guitar, a dome-shaped skirt, a rusty wheeled bath and a super top hat. How do Grace and Rofflu relate to these objects? And what happens when they disappear and they are forced to confront the reality of their relationship?

Grace u Rofflu has no verbal language at all and runs for 50 minutes. Prior to the performance, there will be a 13 minute monologue in Maltese by Kevin Attard. Seating is limited to 150 for each evening.

Both performances on 18th and 19th September start at 20.00hrs. Click here for directions to get to the theatre venue.

There is more information here. Check out the video below for a taster.

There are probably few capital cities other than Malta’s Valletta in which, at 10.30 on a hot Saturday morning in July, you can bump into the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with his grandchild in tow, walking rather aimlessly. It turns out that we’re both looking for the troupe from Azar Teatro, Barroco-roll, in Republic Street, and they’re nowhere to be seen.

We eventually find them loafing around a police van at the top of South Street. And the kids gasp. There are six of them, with painted faces and costumes that shout ‘punk baroque’ in every colour of the rainbow. And just as we’re wondering what they’re doing pouting in front of a police van whose wheels are in need a of wash, a vehicle of sorts comes chugging down the road and the king and his driver sashay in, the rest start skating.

And so starts a journey of close to an hour. First haring behind a vehicle which is part duck, part throne, part keyboard – the kids running faster than any of us, up Melita Street, down Merchants Street – and then running in the slipstream of the two girls with their bodices and wide skirts, a guy who bears a vague resemblance to Gene Simmons in his Kiss heyday, another one with mournful eyes and a large hat. It’s like the Pied Piper all over again.

So it’s appropriate that the burlesque show should take place with the Courts in Republic street as a backdrop. The act’s a complete send up of authority and bella figura. I won’t give away the ’story’. Suffice to say that there’s a happy mix of mock striptease, loud toilet humour, exploding cameras, swashbuckling swords to James Bond themes and a man in an orange wig playing air guitar. And yes, I was the unfortunate guy in the audience who was hauled out and picked on, and my nearly seven year-old later said he was getting worried that he might have had to intervene and save me from further humiliation.

If you want to get a taste of what went on, click here.

Check out Azar Teatro’s website here.

If you want to see more of what’s on in Malta Arts Festival, click here.

It’s great to see Valletta, as it waits for the Renzo Piano makeover to become reality, come alive to the sounds of kids’ screeches and belly laughter.

Photo: Alex Grech

The annual Malta Arts Festival kicks off now and runs until 24 July. It’s an intense, packed calendar of culture over three weeks, and during what’s probably Malta’s most intensely hot month. With virtually all events open air, the summer scheduling makes for a far more sensual experience of the dance, music, drama, recitals and street performance that have come to characterise July in Malta.

It’s a bonanza of creativity with all events promising to tick the boxes for excellence, fun, passion, and a perfect night out. The calendar includes a large number of international performers as well as cherished local acts. From Argentinian tango music to Seville flamenco with a Maltese artiste, and from modern dance from France to an adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear in Italian and Maltese, there’s a right old blend of culture, cultures and languages.

So, browse below, check the Malta Arts Council website, and take your pick from the eclectic mix.

Date	Event	Venue
2 July	All Piazzolla! The Music of Astor Piazzolla. Enrico Dindo – Cello; Solisti di Pavia. Admission: €15. Time: 21.30	President’s Palace Courtyard, Valletta
3 – 31 July	The Life Model. Between Nudes and Naked. Curator: Patrick J. Fenech. Admission: Free. Opening Times: Mon-Fri: 10.00-13.00 & 14.00-18.00; Sat & Sun: 10.00-13.00.	No. 68, St Lucia Street, Valletta
3, 4 July	Barrocco-Roll Street Theatre Performance. Azar Teatro. Admission: Free. Time: 10.30	Republic Street, Valletta
3 July	Mendelssohn Chamber Music Recital Commemorating the bicentennial of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s birth. Roberto Cominati – Piano; Solisti di Pavia. Admission: €15. Time: 21.30	President’s Palace Courtyard, Valletta
3, 4, 5 July	Marsovin Summer Wine Festival A feast of wine, food and Mediterranean culture. Admission: €5. Time: 19.30 onwards.	Hastings Gardens, Valletta
4 July	20th Century Wind Quintet Music Cosmos Ensemble Admission: Free. Time: 20.30	Auberge de Castille, Valletta
5, 6 July	Triana 41010 – Puerto Flamenco Francesca ‘La Chicca’ Grima; Jesus Herrera, Jose ‘El Tremendo’; Imma ‘La Carbonera’; Eduardo Trassierra; Pablo Prada; Andrej Vujicic. See our post for more info. Admission: €15. Time: 21.00	Argotti Gardens
6, 7 July	Hansel & Gretel A fairy tale opera. Die Märchenhafte Operncompagnie. Admission: €10. Tme: 21.30.	President’s Palace Courtard, Valletta.
9 July	Horn Trio Recital Etienne Cutajar – Horn; Thomas Gould – Violin; John Reid – Piano. Admission: €10. Time: 21.30	President’s Palace Courtyard, Valletta
10 July	Les Ârmes Frères. Dance Performance. La Compagnie Julien Lestel. Admission: €15. Time: 21.00	Argotti Gardens, Valletta
10, 11, 12 July	Strada. Wine, Food and Art. Admission: Free. Time: 19.30 onwards	South Street, Valletta
11 July	Arditti Quartet in Concert. Irvine Arditti, Ashot Sarkissjan – Violins; Ralf Ehlers – Viola; Lucas Fels – Cello. Admission: €15. Time: 21.30	President’s Palace Courtyard, Valletta
12, 13 July	Anticantata. Music Theatre Installation. Rosa Ensemble. Admission: €15. Time: 21.00	Old Opera House ruins, Valletta
14, 15 July	‘King Lear’. Laboratorio Permanente di Ricerca sull’Arte dell’Attore and Scarlattine Teatro. Text based on Shakespeare’s play, adapted by Marco Gobetti & Domenico Castaldo. Performance in Italian /Maltese. Admission: €10. Time: 21.00	Argotti Gardens, Valletta
16, 17, 18 July	Malta Jazz Festival. see: maltajazzfestival.org for full details, and our post here. All evenings start: 20.00	Ta’ Liesse, Valletta (nr fish market by Grand Harbour)
21 July	Renaud Garcia-Fons. La Linea Del Sur. New Quartet Linea del Sur. Admission: €15. Time: 21.30	President’s Palace Courtyard, Valletta
22, 23, 24 July	Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors. A Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Production. Admission: €15. Time: 21.00	Argotti Gardens, Floriana

If you’re planning to visit Valletta as part of your holiday itinerary, you’d do well to include a visit to what is arguably the islands’ cultural hub: the St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, housed in, but seemingly ‘hewn out’ of one of the fortress bastions straddling Valletta’s city gate.

The building’s renovation and conversion from gloomy vaulted bastion into a vast contemporary, cultural centre with open spaces and light was the work of leading Maltese architect Richard England. Love the conversion or hate it, the centre has proved a very valuable space in Malta for all things cultural and arty; so much so that most of us can’t imagine where some events were held before. Launched in 2000, the centre was created to support the contemporary creative culture. Simply by arriving on the scene, the centre has expanded the range and often quality of arts’ events in Malta.

It manages to house, in an intimate atmosphere despite the building’s size, an array of exhibition areas, a cinema, a theatre in the round and a music room, along with its Inspirations café with al fresco patio, and a fine dining restaurant. Both eateries are very popular and not just with those attending events.

This place has become a one-stop-shop for operas, plays, musicals, exhibitions of contemporary pieces as well as past masters, classical and popular concerts and recitals. It holds a wealth of activities aimed at kids, including a regular Saturday club offering crafts, drama, story-telling and more. St James’ cinema shows some of the finest contemporary films as well as numerous foreign language films generally not screened at the popular cinemas. It’s a great place to catch up on films you missed first time round; you’re usually guaranteed a quiet auditorium without rustling wrappers and fidgets!

Apart from its creative pull, St James’ attracts too for its history. The building is, in fact, a feat of military architecture. Designed in 1569 by the Knights of St John, its original purpose was to provide raised gun-platforms to counteract land attacks. Since then, the fortified building has been used as a food store by the British Armed Forces, and later to house a government printing press. All this, before it underwent it last conversion to the centre for creativity.

For its calendar of events, check the St James’ Cavalier website.

There’s been a sharp rise in the number of home-grown theatre productions aimed at kids. And we’ve seen also a number of overseas touring productions head our way. This is good news for those of us who yearn for variety in terms of weekend pastimes in Malta.

You makes your choice and pays your money, but generally children enjoy the productions, even if we parents end up baffled by their meaning.

We’ve done a round up of some of the theatre groups which put on regular performances for children, as well as comment on some recent productions, so you can get a feel for the type, suitability and standard of what’s around.

Curtain Raiser
‘Once Upon a Time’ (’07), and ‘In Search of the Missing Reindeer’ (’08), both at St James Cavalier, Valletta.
Kids verdict: great fun (3 and 6 yr olds). Both these productions were a suitable 1.5 hours long. You don’t really want more at that age. The beauty of St James Cavalier theatre is that it is ‘in the round’, and you are never more than a metre or so from the actors. As an adult, I love the venue, and can only begin to imagine how enthralling it is for children to be so close to the action. Also, it is easy to get the kids totally involved. During ‘In Search of the Missing Reindeer’, the cast got the kids singing, cheering and jeering, gave out penguin masks and got all the kids on ‘stage’ for a picture (which Curtain Raiser duly emailed). Also, sign up for St James Cavalier enews and you’ll never miss a good production there.

Cinderella Confidential (‘April 09), Manoel Theatre
This was less of a success perhaps because Curtain Raiser’s style thrives on interaction, which can’t be done well in a more traditional theatre. The girls (aged 4 – 7 yrs) enjoyed the Sunday matinee, but the since the story wasn’t the traditional one – it focused on what happens between the losing and finding of the glass slipper – the girls were baffled about why Cinders was never in in her ball dress.
The dialogue was fast and funky, but with jokes and vocabulary better suited to eight year olds and over. But the publicity material said it was suitable for ‘over 3s’; the matinee was full of bored, bamboozled pre-schoolers.

Teatru Qroqq
The Twitts (’07), James and The Giant Peach (Apr 09) both in MITP, St Christopher St, Valletta (they’ve also done Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

This is a group made up of University Students, so the performances are energetic but not overly ‘professional’. Roald Dahl is a winner with kids and even very young ones got something out of James and the Giant Peach. Older kids were spellbound by the production.
MITP is a good venue for kids (as long as they don’t fall off the scaffolding benches, which form the seating!). The studio setting is great for kids’ theatre as everyone has a clear view, and they can wriggle around without bashing the back of anyone’s seat. MITP has no website, but tickets are often sold via St James Cavalier; and its events are listed on maltaculture.com, the official government arts’ council site.

Sarah Spiteri
The Story of Babar – Music Room, St James, (Spring 09)
This hour-long musical cum drama production was brilliant (kids’ and adults’ comments). Sarah Spiteri is an accomplished violinist and ensures music is the key element of the action. She does a wonderful introduction to the musicians and instruments that accompany her. She is also excellent at storytelling and getting kids involved. Most kids were enthralled but the venue – more formal seating rows – meant some kids were fidgeting around and not concentrating as perhaps they couldn’t see well. However, with her next production….

The Carnival of the Animals, April 09, (photo above)
A great outdoor setting in gardens below the main road up to Castille, Valletta, which should be used more often for productions. We walked under the road arch from the Central Bank entrance to get there. The stage was at the right height for the kids to lean on it and gaze at the action…animals (and fossils?) springing up from all over the place in amazing costumes. Sarah’s group of musicians played serenely under sun umbrellas. All the kids seemed to be completely enthralled by the action, and the open air, no seating setting meant they could wriggle, wander around, go to the loo, ask questions, eat sweets…all without parents having to say ‘SHHH’, ‘sit STILL’ or squeeze past anyone. Verdict – perfect for all!

Mediterranean Conference Centre
Beauty and The Beast (Disney): Predictably spectacular with ticket prices to match (€25 to €65), kids from 4-8 in my group, they all loved it. As did the grandmother (without grandchildren in tow), who sat beside me. 2 hours, but no-one minded.

Sleeping Beauty (Moscow Ballet Theatre). No orchestra, which I really missed. Two and a half hours, but kids were restless from very early on. Luckily the theatre was half empty on Easter Sunday, so I could move back several rows and not worry about disturbing anyone.

Swan Lake on Ice (another Russian travelling company). Kids loved it; I didn’t (again no orchestra, but I guess you can’t have ice and musicians).

The Nutcracker (The Crown of Russian Ballet). Just took the 7 year old. It was a production by local kids, and my daughter loved seeing them in action.

Swan Lake (Bolshoi Ballet) 2007. Utterly brilliant; it even kept my two year old entertained!