Roll up! Roll up! The exciting and extraordinary tale of The Twits is set for Teatru Manoel this Christmas.
The mischievous adaptation by Ian Moore of Roald Dahl’s much-loved children’s book is coming to Teatru Manoel for the first time ever from 26-30 December, in a show produced by Teatru Manoel, created by Masquerade Malta, and directed by Moore.
Recently featured in a Top 100 poll of all-time favourite books, Dahl’s raucous tale of mayhem and mercy has enchanted generations. The Twits follows the deeply unpleasant Mr and Mrs Twit as they hold the Muggle-Wumps – a family of monkeys – hostage in a cage and make them stand on their heads. Can the clever Muggle-Wumps and the magnificent Roly-Poly bird find a way to teach the vicious Twits a lesson in how to be nice?
Set in circus-style, this childhood favourite promises pure slapstick family fun in a wonderfully wild production packed with live music, dance and drama.
’The richness of Dahl’s characters, his masterly plot development, his humour, and above all his extraordinary blend of reality and the surreal grotesque, have an intensely ‘theatrical’ feel and will translate well to Teatru Manoel’s setting,” says Moore. “The Twits is a subversive yet highly moral tale – Mr & Mrs Twit are extremely nasty human beings. They’re nasty to each other, and they’re vile to everyone else. But they aren’t out-and-out villains while the Muggle-Wumps and Roly-Poly bird aren’t total ‘goody-goodies’. Life is never as simple as that. I hope the audience will enjoy rather than hate the horridness of The Twits, and, at the same time, enjoy joining in with the animals’ attempts to outwit them.”
A stellar cast will bring Dahl’s story to life, featuring Katherine Brown, Eliza Aquilina, Jayne Giordanella, Matthew Cilia, Bertha Farrugia and Emily Abela. Behind the scenes, Masquerade’s production co-ordinators anthony bezzina and Veronica Bezzina also lead a highly experienced creative team, with set design by Romualdo Moretti, costume design by Louie Noir, hair design by Michael and Guy, make-up design by Krista Paris and flying by Audrick Plum.
Plus, for a limited time only, a Black Friday offer means families can go bananas at Teatru Manoel this Christmas for even less! All tickets for The Twits booked between 22 and 28 November are priced at just €20 and €10 – that’s a €5 discount per ticket from the full price of €25 and €15 respectively.
“The Twits will be a magical treat for all the family,” says Teatru Manoel CEO Massimo Zammit. “This hugely fun and fantastical show is guaranteed to bring Christmas cheer to young and old at the Manoel this season, and is the ideal occasion to wish our artists, our creatives and our audiences A Merry Manoel Christmas.”
The Twits will be performed at Teatru Manoel, Valletta, at 3pm, 6pm and 9pm on 26 December, then at 4pm and 7pm on 27, 28, 29 and 30 December. The show is suitable for brave children aged six and above and their families and is staged in-line with all current COVID-19 protocols. For more information and to book tickets, visit www.teatrumanoel.com.mt, call on +356 2124 6389 or email on bookings.mt@teatrumanoel.mt.
