For decades, Malta’s longest-running theatre company MADC has set the standard for English-language Christmas pantomimes. Full of timeless songs, larger-than-life characters, spectacular sets and costumes, talented casts and magical stories, the MADC panto is an unmissable part of the festive season for audiences across Malta.

Running from 22 December 2023 to 7 January 2024, Beauty and the Beast marked the return of the much-loved MADC pantomime to Teatru Manoel for the first time since 2007. The Finesse PR team was tasked with creating a campaign to spotlight the highly anticipated return of this national tradition to the country’s national theatre. We couldn’t wait!

There are often multiple competing pantomimes and theatrical productions vying for the attention of audiences throughout the Christmas and New Year period – so how do we make sure that MADC’s pantomime stays at the top of their must-see list?

And, of course, we wanted to ensure that MADC’s return to Teatru Manoel for their annual festive production – for the first time in 16 years – went off with a bang!

Our campaign set about spotlighting specific aspects of MADC’s extraordinary production, to keep it in the headlines across the press.

We issued a number of press releases and articles featuring the cast’s lead performers led by Malta’s favourite panto dame, Alan Montanaro, as well as members of the hugely talented creative team. Other articles also explored the long and vibrant history of the MADC panto, to boost engagement with a modern audience.

These pieces appeared across leading print and online newspapers and magazines, in both English and Maltese. 

The Finesse campaign also included a series of interviews on some of the top TV and radio channels in Malta.

MADC’s Beauty and the Beast panto was a sold-out show and one of the most celebrated pantos ever! The production received great feedback from thrilled audiences throughout its run, playing to a packed house, performance after performance.

In fact, news headlines called the production “a major hit”, with audiences snapping up tickets “quicker than usual, amid rave reviews.”

We congratulate everyone at MADC’s Beauty and the Beast for their sell-out run at Teatru Manoel, which reinstated the theatre company’s panto tradition on the national theatre style in spectacular fashion!

As Finesse – the only full-services PR & marketing agency in Malta run and managed by very active members of Malta’s theatre community – we were proud to be MADC’s PR partners and to have helped create awareness and excellent coverage for a production that audiences are sure to remember for years to come.