Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541798
9 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 5 DECEMBER 2025 CULTURE Gozo's only rock and roll panto dell'arte and partly from other European and British stage tra- ditions, including 17th-century masques and music hall. Until the late 19th century, the harle- quinade was an important part of pantomime. Today, panto- mime is performed across the United Kingdom, Ireland and other English-speaking coun- tries, especially during the Christmas and New Year sea- son, and features songs, gags, slapstick comedy and dancing. Pantomime arrived in Malta around 1910-1911, introduced by British expatriates, with the MADC staging Malta's first panto Aladdin and His Won- derful Lamp in January 1911. FM Theatre were the first thea- tre company to stage a panto in Gozo, with Jack and the Bean- stalk. A chef's touch to panto Edward Mercieca says he ap- proached Robin Hood with a chef's touch. He sees the tale as a classic mix of good against evil, seasoned with romance, spiced with two teenage Sliema babes, and given plenty of fla- vour by the villainous Sheriff, the village bumpkin Bankina and the ever–boisterous Nurse Vaxine Vassallo Vella. This rec- ipe, as he describes it, results in the unmistakable taste of panto fun. Mercieca says that FM The- atre's Robin Hood is not just a panto. It's Gozo's only Rock And Roll Panto, a genre, Mer- cieca has cultivated through years of playful extermination. Here, the cast are the musi- cians. Nine performers switch between acting and playing, filling the stage with 20 live rock and roll numbers from the sixties, seventies and beyond. It is a high–energy show designed to thrill not only children but also the adults who grew up with that music. Mercieca af- fectionately notes that even dads love it. "It's a very simple formula really—whatever the gags, an- ything double entendre must never be understood by the kiddies but easily absorbed by the adults! The kids then love the slapstick, the silly walks, the cartoon noises, the hero and heroine, the defeat of the bad- die. The booing and the hissing and the singing along. Robin Hood is a one stop shop for complete family entertainment at its best!" he explains. As for political satire, Mer- cieca believes panto is one of the few genres where writers should not pull all their punch- es. Audiences must be able to laugh at themselves and at pub- lic life. He and his team mon- itor audience reactions from the first performance, adjusting jokes and adding new refer- ences if something in the real world sparks an opportunity. "Panto script is alive right up to the last curtain call," he says. According to Mercieca, what sets Robin Hood apart is the rock and roll identity that no other panto in Malta offers. It is fast, colourful and packed with live performance energy that sweeps audiences into what Mercieca calls a "tsunami of fun". For anyone who has nev- er seen a Rock and Roll Panto, this is the year he insists they should not miss it. Robin Hood will be on from 26 December to 30 December at Teatru Astra in Victoria, Gozo. Tickets can be purchased from https://teatruastra.org.mt/ events/2025/robin-hood- and-the-babes-in-the-wood Lef tot right: Edward Mercieca as the dame and Luke Mercieca as Robin Hood Gozo artisan's Christmas crib becomes museum treasure FRANK Mizzi's extraordinary Christmas crib, a labour of love spanning four decades, has found a permanent home at Il-Ħaġar Museum in Gozo. Mizzi began constructing the crib around 40 years ago, and it has remained a living work in progress ever since. Over the years, he continu- ously refined and expanded the scene, adding new figures, features, and intricate details that showcase both his artistic skill and spiritual devotion. Until recently, the crib was displayed in an exhibition space adjoining Mizzi's home on Triq tal-Għajn, near St Augustine Square in Victoria. There, it became a cherished local attraction, drawing vis- itors who admired its crafts- manship and heartfelt expres- sion of faith. In a generous move, Mizzi donated the crib to Il-Ħaġar Museum, ensuring its preser- vation and public accessibility for generations to come. To- day, the crib stands as a testa- ment to one man's dedication, celebrating both the Nativity and the enduring spirit of Gozo's artisanal traditions. Visitors can view Mizzi's crib at Il-Ħaġar Museum, Triq il-Karità, Victoria, Gozo. The museum is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, offering the public the opportunity to experience this unique work up close during the festive season. Until recently, the crib was displayed in an exhibition space adjoining Mizzi's home on Triq tal-Ghajn, near St Augustine Square in Victoria