Teatru Manoel has announced the cancellation of this Christmas’ pantomime due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision, which was taken in conjunction with Masquerade Malta, MADC, and FM Theatre Productions, comes ahead of the Christmas season, which the pantomime is a major part of for many families. 

“Masquerade Malta was scheduled to produce the family-favourite show this season, with MADC to follow in 2021 – 2022 and FM Theatre Productions in 2022 – 2023. The three companies are fully in agreement and, in view of the decision, will be moving their respective dates by a year,” the organisers said in a statement.

The annual Pantomime has been a staple at Malta’s National Theatre for decades, and Teatru Manoel and the three leading theatrical companies involved acknowledge that the decision was a hard one to take.

However, given there is still much uncertainty about what’s to come, it was agreed that it is not feasible to proceed with such a major production – which calls for so much time, commitment and creative effort – under the circumstances.

“In light of the above and with the health and safety of creatives and audiences in mind, the management of Teatru Manoel is currently also in discussions about the fate of the rest of its theatrical season and details will be announced soon,” they said.

“The management sincerely hopes the pandemic will be over soon, and things can start to come back to normal. Teatru Manoel looks forward to the time when local and foreign artists and creatives can return to this gem of a theatre to provide the high-quality cultural entertainment audiences have come to expect,” they ended.

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