Early attempts at performing Christmas pantomime in Maltese in Gozo

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to briefly analyse the history of Christmas pantomime in Malta and discuss early attempts at developing Christmas pantomime in Gozo. The relevance of this research to the history of Maltese theatre stems from the fact that as shall be examined, unlike in Malta, the early attempts made by theatre in Gozo at developing Christmas pantomime were in the Maltese language.

Pantomimes are a genre of theatre imported for a British expatriate audience and later on adopted by Maltese theatre-makers to be viewed by Maltese theatre audiences. The dissertation anlayses the main constitutive elements found in Christmas pantomimes and examines whether these elements were present in several productions done in Gozo after the Maltese Islands acquired independence from Britain. This dissertation utilises various local sources, newspaper reviews, theatre programmes, press interviews, playscripts, and interviews with local artists involved in the productions being examined.