Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/758493
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 DECEMBER 2016 31 This Week It's a PG-rated Pussy riot at the Manoel As Masquerade prepares for its annual Christmas appointment at the Manoel Theatre, TEODOR RELJIC speaks to the star of its Panto for this year, the actress Katherine Brown, who will be taking on the role of the titular trickster, Puss in Boots, in the Anthony Bezzina-directed, Malcolm Galea-scripted production Does Panto hold any special significance for you as an event in the Maltese cultural calen- dar? When I was a small child, we would often come to Malta to visit family over Christmas time. One of the events I would most look forward to was Panto at the Manoel. It's always been a real family show and many families make it a part of their Christ- mas tradition just as my family did when I was small. I have had many people, adults and children both, tell me that they don't feel like it's really Christmas without Panto, and I feel the same way. What kind of theatrical skill set would you say performers have to bring to the stage with them when approaching Pan- to? And in this particular case, would you say it's also a matter of endurance rather than 'sim- ply' performance? There has to be a great willing- ness to be silly in a Panto per- former, but with a core of sincer- ity. Children sense it when you're not being sincere and they'll turn off, which is fatal. You also have to have heaps of energy and en- thusiasm, with a great sense of fun. There is definitely an ele- ment of endurance in a Panto run that isn't there in other shows. Every show has to be full out and blasting with energy, which can be draining on a day when you've got two performances back to back. If you haven't built up the endurance, you can struggle. Luckily, rehearsals generally take care of that, building it up quite well. How would you describe the Puss in Boots Panto? What do you think distinguishes Mal- colm Galea's script from other Pantos in the past? It's definitely the most magical Panto I've taken part in for quite a while. There's a lot of sparkle and whimsy and moments that will take your breath away. It's great being a part of that kind of magic. Malcolm's scripts are always great to work with. He writes the script after it's been cast, so each part is tailored to the person playing it. Everyone has their moment to shine. He's also tapped into everyone's indi- vidual sense of humour, making it one of the funnier Pantos I've been in. Was it fun to take on the title role this time around? Without spoiling anything, what has been most fun about embody- ing the Puss in Boots? It's always a privilege to take on the title role in any show, but it's particularly enjoyable when it's Panto because the children will look up to you as that character for months after. I'm not sure I'm ready for small children to be calling "Puss!" after me, but I'll handle it. Puss is fun, feisty and heroic, with a sarcastic sense of humour that's really me. What do you make of the local theatrical scene? What would you change about it? I'm always amazed at the level of local talent. There's always something going on and so many opportunities for a wide range of roles. I would like to see actors paid better. There are very few people here who can pursue act- ing as a career here in Malta sim- ply because it doesn't pay well enough. Some of our best talent has to leave if they want to try acting as a career. What's next for you? I don't have anything on tap after Panto, which I do prefer. I always need a bit of post-Panto recovery time before I start look- ing around for a new project. Although if anyone has anything interesting, call me! Puss in Boots is a Masquer- ade production at the Manoel Theatre, opening December 23 and running till January 8. It is directed by Anthony Bezzina and scripted by Malcolm Galea, who will also be taking on the role of the Dame. The rest of the cast includes Stephen Oliver, Jo- seph Zammit, Tina Rizzo, Anton Saliba and Joe Depasquale. Mu- sical direction is in the hands of Kris Spiteri while Elena Zammit will be in charge of choreography. Bookings: www.masquerademal- ta.com Katherine Brown as Puss in Boots Malcolm Galea (left) and Joseph Zammit "I'm not sure I'm ready for small children to be calling "Puss!" after me, but I'll handle it" "Some of our best talent has to leave the island because actors here are not paid well enough"