Drag Favourite Chucky Tackles Jack and the Beanstalk Solo
Being at sea level, the site is subject to flooding and though there have been attempts to drain the area for agriculture, seasonal flooding, brackish groundwater and exposure to salt-laden grigal gales, rendered it unusable. Reverted to the wild, a dense thicket of tamarisk formed, to which an olive grove was later added.
If you like your Christmas theatre a little bit cheeky and very much not for the kids, Malta has something new up its sleeve this festive season.
Drag favourite Chucky Bartolo is front and centre in a brand-new one-person pantomime that’s landing as part of Malta’s alternative Christmas theatre line-up. Written and directed by Vikesh Godhwani, the show gives Jack and the Beanstalk a thoroughly modern shake-up, with political jabs, pop bangers and the odd surprise cameo along the way.
It’s the latest instalment of Godhwani’s Panto in the Dark series, following last year’s solo-performer experiment. That went down well enough for the team to think, why not push it further. This time around, the volume is turned right up, with the familiar fairy tale used to poke at today’s larger-than-life figures and the power they wield.
Chucky, who many will recognise as the voice behind Love Island Malta, takes on every single character. All of them. The format keeps the cosy bones of traditional panto but drops drag into a setting you don’t see every day. For Chucky, that’s half the fun, especially working alongside Godhwani, a collaboration that clearly thrives on a bit of creative chaos.
Expect laughs, knowing nods, plenty of audience back-and-forth and humour that firmly earns its adult rating. It’s pitched as a Christmas night out for locals and visitors who fancy something a bit different from the usual festive fare.
Chucky’s Solo Panto, Jack and The Beanstalk runs at Spazju Kreattiv on 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28 December. Shows start at 8pm, or 7pm on Sundays. Tickets cost €25 for stalls, €20 for the balcony, with €20 concessions available.
The show is for ages 18 and over, and tickets can be booked via the Spazju Kreattiv website.
