Malta Inside Out » Theatre

True Professionals: Malta’s ‘amateur’ theatre groups

Pierre Stafrace — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:11:19 +0000

A push for semi-pro theatre in Malta:Theatre Anon's latest production Immaculate

In any country, the number of people who actively and regularly go to the theatre is relatively small. This is no different in Malta. Here though, the theatre-going population is even more niche. With such small audience numbers, it is not feasible for a theatre company to be professional, that is, to earn a livelihood from theatre alone. Most productions run for a weekend or two; hardly enough to justify the weeks of preparation that go into the piece.

Unlike in the world of sport, where amateur athletes command a lot of respect, in theatre, the word ‘amateur’ conjures up the stereotypical ham-acting styles of a small theatre company in some remote English village. This is very far from the truth in Malta, where many companies put tremendous effort and considerable financial risk into their productions, and to achieve often great results, sometimes comparable to professional performances in other countries.

The amateur theatre tradition here in fact goes back to the times of the Knights of St John; at the Manoel Theatre (built in 1732), apart from operas by visiting professional Italian companies, performances were given by groups of Knights themselves. Moving closer to our times, the MADC (the Malta Amateur Dramatic Company) was set up a hundred years ago by British residents looking for a pastime. At the time, it probably was a company in the traditional amateur English style; however, over the years, the direction of the company evolved and standards improved tremendously. For instance, the MADC still produces an annual pantomime, as it first did in 1910, but these days the production has become as lavish as a West End musical.

Over the years, many other theatre companies have cropped up; some have come and gone, but others are regular contributors to the Maltese cultural scene. Companies like Masquerade and FM, which are backed by theatre schools, favour large-scale productions including pantos; others, like Talenti, work only in the Maltese language. Others still, companies such as ActionBase, are involved in the research of theatre while Du’, an all-female company, works only with scripts developed by the group. None of these companies employ full-time actors or directors and are therefore, by definition, not ‘professional’, but the approach adopted by the companies is indeed professional and the quality of the work produced is usually surprisingly high.

Another company on the Maltese scene is Theatre Anon. Since their inception in 1994, this company has produced a series of very different productions – some based extensively on physical work, others purely on words. Their last production, Ospizio, in July last year was a site-specific work which involved actors, dancers, artists, aerial performers and a brass and percussion band! Audiences and critics alike loved it; it was funny, emotional and involving and it set the standard for site-specific work in Malta.

At the moment, Theatre Anon is working on something completely different – a broad comedy. The theme is somewhat unusual in that its central character is a woman, Mia, who hasn’t had sex for a year but wakes up one morning to find she is heavily pregnant. Immaculate is really hilarious as it exploits this situation which includes Mia’s best friend, an angel (archangel actually), a fallen angel, an ex-boyfriend and an old school nerd.

Further Information & Booking
Immaculate – a Theatre Anon production runs at St James Cavalier on the 11-13, 18-20 and 25-27 March and is classified for an adult audience. Click here for booking details. See also Theatre Anon and Immaculate on Facebook.

Theatre in the Dock

Elizabeth Ayling — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 21:00:18 +0000

Malta’s heritage buildings, many of which date from the time of the Knights and many disused, are increasingly finding new leases of life as backdrops for all sorts of cultural events. Summer, for instance, sees many such venues come into their own during July’s Malta Arts Festival.

But now, in November, a space in Malta’s industrial heartland – the dockyards – is being taken over by ground-breaking visual dance theatre group ‘rubberbodies’ for its latest experimental and experiential production – 100: rubberbodies at Dock No.1. The group is using one of the Knights’ buildings at Dock No.1 in Cottonera, turning it into a temporary theatre and concert hall. See more on the venue here.

What is rubberbodies?
In their own words, “Rubberbodies is a multi-disciplinary artist collective whose collaborations arise from an addiction to create, and a curiosity towards the other”. What that means is just see them rather than try to work them out. Their acclaimed production earlier this year ‘Grace u Rofflu‘ showed they defy genre.

What is pertinent in their write-up of who they are is this: “The collective aims to integrate art as a category in a society that builds expectations, values and roles based on a controlled system generated by the powerful bodies of religion, politics and the media. We use art and our bodies to address culturally determined perceptions by creating spaces for the observation of serious social and political issues.” Rubberbodies is pushing boundaries and thinking out of the box and it’s heartening to see that their endeavours are recognised by the Malta Council for Culture & the Arts and have attracted funding from the Malta Arts Fund.

About this production
100 is a visual dance theatre production which touches upon the themes of love and gender. It premiers on 19 November 2010 with performances following on 20, 26 and 27. In addition, there’s also a 50-minute live symphonic ambient concert by sound designer Mario Sammut on 28 November. Both performances take place at Dock No.1, Cottonera.

Ticket Info
Adult Ticket : EUR12 / Student Ticket EUR 7 and Block Ticket Adult EUR 15 (Performance and Concert) / Block Ticket Student EUR 10 (Performance and Concert)

Seating is limited as only 150 seats a night will be made available. Refreshments are available after the performances when the audience has an opportunity to meet the creators and performers. Tickets are available are available from St James Cavalier box office.

More information contact info@rubberbodies.com or see Facebook.

The Venue
Dock No.1 (TARZNA), Cottonera

‘Ospizio’ at Malta Arts Festival: a backdrop takes centre stage

Elizabeth Ayling — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:40:37 +0000

Moving and sometimes fast moving: Ospizio pushes the boundaries at Malta Arts

When the audience is advised to wear practical footwear, you know you’re not in for a regular theatre-going experience. Theatre Anon’s production Ospizio, part of the Malta Arts Festival (3- 23 July), is certainly not a routine, seated affair to doze off to in the summer heat.

The audience is invited to follow the action, on the move on location in Malta’s old Ospizio – a building dating from the time of the Knights that took in society’s needy and acted alternately as hospital, hospice, asylum, orphanage and more. Ospizio is an original work commissioned by the Malta Arts Festival and devised by Theatre Anon, a company renowned for pushing the boundaries – Malta’s own ‘Théâtre de Complicité‘ if you like.

Ospizio is also a good example of how the Malta Arts Festival is highlighting the islands’ unique historic backdrops by matching productions and venues for dramatic and artistic effect. And showing how old, disused buildings can find new lease of life with the creative arts.

About the Production: ‘Ospizio’
Theatre Anon, in their most ambitious project to date, has created a fascinating tale; one that is spectacular, magical and hilarious, as well as touching because the story may reveal not only the history of the Ospizio… but also perhaps tell us something about ourselves.

Follow Magda on her journey. Meet Paolo Passionei, who was Malta’s longest-serving Inquisitor, and his secret mistress and their two daughters; the mad Mayor; the Monsignor; the heartthrob lawyer; Madam Sylvie, gatekeeper to the land of the forgotten; Di and Do, the perfect incompetents; Milly, the cranky old woman; Rozita, who summons ghosts whenever she sings; and Pandora who leads the Chorus of the Forgotten. Passionei’s life is just one of the many fascinating events we come across during Ospizio.

Theatre Anon’s multilingual story is a fictional one, inspired by the site’s colourful history and the intriguing characters that inhabited it. The audience is invited to embark on this journey with Anon’s large cast of actors, dancers, singers and The Big Band Brothers.

Ospizio is designed by Pierre Portelli, and Theatre anon has also collaborated with writer Clare Azzopardi on the project.

Dates
‘Ospizio’ runs in Floriana on the 5, 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14 July as part of the Malta Arts Festival 2010.

Tickets are available from www.maltaticket.com or from any of the following outlets in Malta and Gozo: Exotique, Agenda, Vodafone, Bookends and Newskiosk.

For further information, see Malta Arts Festival Blog and the Theatre Anon site.

A Passion for Plays & Pastries

Elizabeth Ayling — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:00:49 +0000

Soul searching in an Easter passion play at the Carmelite Priory, Mdina

The Carmelite Priory Museum in Mdina, a relatively recent, private museum for Malta, with a ‘pretty nice cafe’ attached, has been using its heritage assets well. Its museum, shop and eatery aside, the Priory is making the most of its vast buildings, spacious corridors, airy courtyard and church as a backdrop to arts and cultural events. It holds regular Wednesday and Saturday lunchtime concerts in its refectory, which make an ideal excuse to escape the busy tourist street outside.

At Easter, the priory is the venue for a passion play with a twist – ‘Is it Me?’ – adapted and directed by the Priory’s manager, Marc Cabourdin, who you’ll usually find overseeing the Old Priory Cafe.

Why a play and why now? Marc explains: “This is the first time we’ve taken such an initiative at the Priory. Easter is a time when many paegants are put up in Malta but most focus upon the sufferings of Jesus. ‘Is It Me?’ is different as it places strong emphasis on the originality of Jesus’s teachings with their underlying message of the importance of love as the centre of all human experience. The radicality of Jesus’s preaching is what led to him being ostracised and to him being accused of blasphemy and then executed. The plot also focuses upon his interaction with the people and gives deeper insight into the roles of Pontius Pilate and Caiaphas.”

Earlier in life, Marc spent four years in London as an actor and reading for an MA in acting and theatre, so it’s little wonder that the Priory is taking this turn.

Without giving the play away….”Is it me?”, is an adaptation of the well-known Easter play “Son of Man”, by Dennis Potter, which was originally produced by the BBC for television. It lets you see the choices that had to be made for those events which changed the face of history. The Priory’s adaptation is very much a team effort of all the cast.

Cast: Steffan Cherriet Busuttil, Tyron Grima, Jean Pierre Agius, Joanna Caruana, Justin Fenech, Keith Pavia, David Chircop, and Wesley Ellul.

Further info:
Dates: March 27 – 29, at 20.00.
Time: 8:00pm.
Admission: €10.00, concessions €8.00.
Venue phone: +356 27020404.
email: info@carmelitepriorymuseum.com
Site: www.carmelitepriorymuseum.com

Photo: courtesy of the Priory. Stefan Cheriet Busuttil in the role of Jesus.

It’s a comic Sunday in Valletta

Elizabeth Ayling — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:14:50 +0000

There's always something headlining in Valletta

Notte Bianca isn’t the only weekend a year it’s worth visiting Valletta to get a cultural fix. You know autumn has set in, chillier evenings aside, when Valletta venues start packing in the events. And this weekend is no exception. We’ve done a quick round-up of some of the highlights that are worth heading to il-Belt for this Sunday. Halloween flavoured of course, but with some music and drama thrown in. Whether you’re going to the capital for morning coffee and newspapers or a post-prandial stroll and tea, try to make time for, and support, something cultural while you’re there.

The First Malta Comic Book Convention

31 October – 1 November
Entry: €7 per day, €12 both days. Children under 11 enter for free.
This is history in the making as it’s the first such convention held in Malta. A friend’s daughter, who is participating with her own art work, is ‘very excited’ to be rubbing shoulders with David Lloyd who did the art for the comic versions of “V for Vendetta”, “Time Bandits” and the “Dr Who” magazine which is published in the USA. That gives you a flavour of what’s in store. Just about everything to do with comics is going to be showcased at the two-day event. Other comic industry names include: Staz Johnson (Spider Man, Wolverince); Mike Collins (Doomsday, American Gothic); Yanick Paquette (X-Men, Superman); and Brian Bolland (Batman, Wonder Woman); and Sean Azzopardi (Twelve Hour Shift). Full details, see St James Cavalier website.

Scream for Halloween

Sunday 1 November: midday, 3pm & 6pm shows. Price euro 10.
Kids’ drama performance at St James Cavalier, billed as ‘the original Malta-Made Musical Monster Show’; suitable for kids aged 6. As with almost all drama aimed at youngsters these days in Malta, tickets for this sold like hot cakes. So much so in fact that there’s now an extra performance Sunday 1 November at midday. So it’s still worth checking for availability if you thought you’d missed out. See St James Cavalier website or call the box office: 2122 3200

Valletta Waterfront Halloween

Every Saturday and Sunday from 1-4pm, the Waterfront hosts family entertainment and street animation. This Sunday 1st Nov. should be taking on a Halloween guise. See vallettawaterfront.com for more info.

And now for something different…

St Catherine of Italy Chapel – Sunday morning concerts

Sunday 1 November: Baroque Jewels for Flute & Harpsichord.
Works by: Valentine; Telemann; Vivaldi; & Blavet.
Entrance: free, but Euro 5 donation appreciated.
Don’t forget about this gem of chapel and its wonderful lunchtime concert programme that’s become a regular winter feature, running Thursdays at 12.30 and Sundays at 11am. Details from St James Cavalier.

Appuntamenti, but with whom?

Andrei Vella Laurenti — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:35:46 +0000

Six characters in search of life elsewhere

After winning the Francis Ebejjer award earlier this year for her play Appuntamenti, 26-year-old Simone Spiteri – actress, playwright and artistic director of all-female theatre group Du’ – secured a place for the group on the local theatre circuit.

Du’s uniqueness lies in the group’s dynamics – their past performances were characterised by an all-female ensemble backed up by eccentric musicians. Appuntamenti introduces three men into the dynamic, and diverges again from Du’s past performances by having only two of the original group members acting in it.

The six characters in Appuntamenti are all linked to each other. They are all taken for granted by their partners so they decide to look elsewhere for attraction, approval and attention. Garcia Marquez’s classic Love in the Time of Cholera is a theme that binds. It is seen as a weapon of seduction by the typical male and as a textbook of insight by another. The ‘under appreciated’ meet the maladjusted at the bus stop. The only problem is that they all choose the same time and the same place. What can this lead to? Watch and find out. But be assured that waiting at a bus stop will never be the same again.

Venue & Tickets: Appuntamenti runs from from 16 – 18 & 23 – 25, October, at St. James Cavalier, Valletta. Tickets are Euros 15 each and the play starts at 20.00hrs.

Reviews: If you’ve not gone yet, but might on the second weekend the play runs, see Andrei’s comment below – it’s a review/crit of the play.

Malta marks ‘Stop Poverty’ day

Elizabeth Ayling — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:55:14 +0000

Fish where your fish are! But not every small-time fisherman can.

It’s not a diary date most of us know about, but 17 October is the International Day for Eradication of Poverty. But it might be indelibly imprinted on our minds this year thanks to the number of events and activities happening locally in Malta to not only mark the day, but educate us and galvanise us into year-long action on poverty issues. There are events to simply stand up and be counted at; arts events such as photographic exhibitions and drama productions to sensitise us to poverty even where we’d least expect it; and debates and discussion sessions.

The key protagonist of the day in Malta is the STOPoverty! Neqirdu l-Faqar Campaign; the national coalition of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) international campaign. The global campaign sees the 17 October as the day for civil society to remind and put pressure on governments to keep the promises and commitments of the Millennium Declaration, which was adopted by 189 nations during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000. One of the Millennium Development’s main goals is to see the ending of poverty by the year 2015 – so not that long off to achieve!

Some of the more innovative events marking the day include the theatre production Ceda l-Imbatt, by Theatrencore on 17 October at MITP, St. Christopher Street, Valletta, at 20:00hrs. The production, in Maltese, focuses on poverty faced by small-scale fishermen in the Mediterranean region. It shows that poverty is on our doorstep, as well as further afield. All types have their victims, and need responses.

For a full programme of events to mark the Stop Poverty day and more information on the campaign, see: www.stopovertymalta.org. Or email: Angie Farrugia, tel: 79756701 or Mario Gerada,tel: 79342328.

Experimental theatre at MITP

Alex Grech — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:30:23 +0000

If you’re looking for an alternative evening this weekend, head down to the MITP theatre in St Christopher Street Valletta, for Grace u Rofflu, the latest offering from rubberbodies.

This performance is the product of a series of improvisation workshops and charts the relationship between two characters, Grace and Rofflu. Through movement, theatre, music and visual art, this is a labyrinth of magical and dark-tinted scenes, exploring hidden feelings, domestic violence and loss.

The two performers will be accompanied by a cello and guitar, a dome-shaped skirt, a rusty wheeled bath and a super top hat. How do Grace and Rofflu relate to these objects? And what happens when they disappear and they are forced to confront the reality of their relationship?

Grace u Rofflu has no verbal language at all and runs for 50 minutes. Prior to the performance, there will be a 13 minute monologue in Maltese by Kevin Attard. Seating is limited to 150 for each evening.

Both performances on 18th and 19th September start at 20.00hrs. Click here for directions to get to the theatre venue.

There is more information here. Check out the video below for a taster.

Rollerskates and burlesque

Alex Grech — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:32:09 +0000

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Sex and Valletta City? Well, baroque bodices, pouts and poses from Barroco Roll

There are probably few capital cities other than Malta’s Valletta in which, at 10.30 on a hot Saturday morning in July, you can bump into the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with his grandchild in tow, walking rather aimlessly. It turns out that we’re both looking for the troupe from Azar Teatro, Barroco-roll, in Republic Street, and they’re nowhere to be seen.

We eventually find them loafing around a police van at the top of South Street. And the kids gasp. There are six of them, with painted faces and costumes that shout ‘punk baroque’ in every colour of the rainbow. And just as we’re wondering what they’re doing pouting in front of a police van whose wheels are in need a of wash, a vehicle of sorts comes chugging down the road and the king and his driver sashay in, the rest start skating.

And so starts a journey of close to an hour. First haring behind a vehicle which is part duck, part throne, part keyboard – the kids running faster than any of us, up Melita Street, down Merchants Street – and then running in the slipstream of the two girls with their bodices and wide skirts, a guy who bears a vague resemblance to Gene Simmons in his Kiss heyday, another one with mournful eyes and a large hat. It’s like the Pied Piper all over again.

So it’s appropriate that the burlesque show should take place with the Courts in Republic street as a backdrop. The act’s a complete send up of authority and bella figura. I won’t give away the ‘story’. Suffice to say that there’s a happy mix of mock striptease, loud toilet humour, exploding cameras, swashbuckling swords to James Bond themes and a man in an orange wig playing air guitar. And yes, I was the unfortunate guy in the audience who was hauled out and picked on, and my nearly seven year-old later said he was getting worried that he might have had to intervene and save me from further humiliation.

If you want to get a taste of what went on, click here.

Check out Azar Teatro’s website here.

If you want to see more of what’s on in Malta Arts Festival, click here.

It’s great to see Valletta, as it waits for the Renzo Piano makeover to become reality, come alive to the sounds of kids’ screeches and belly laughter.

Photo: Alex Grech

Malta’s Centre for Creativity & Culture

Antonio Olivari D'Emanuele — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:52:08 +0000

St James Cavalier: a stairway to contemporary culture

If you’re planning to visit Valletta as part of your holiday itinerary, you’d do well to include a visit to what is arguably the islands’ cultural hub: the St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, housed in, but seemingly ‘hewn out’ of one of the fortress bastions straddling Valletta’s city gate.

The building’s renovation and conversion from gloomy vaulted bastion into a vast contemporary, cultural centre with open spaces and light was the work of leading Maltese architect Richard England. Love the conversion or hate it, the centre has proved a very valuable space in Malta for all things cultural and arty; so much so that most of us can’t imagine where some events were held before. Launched in 2000, the centre was created to support the contemporary creative culture. Simply by arriving on the scene, the centre has expanded the range and often quality of arts’ events in Malta.

It manages to house, in an intimate atmosphere despite the building’s size, an array of exhibition areas, a cinema, a theatre in the round and a music room, along with its Inspirations café with al fresco patio, and a fine dining restaurant. Both eateries are very popular and not just with those attending events.

This place has become a one-stop-shop for operas, plays, musicals, exhibitions of contemporary pieces as well as past masters, classical and popular concerts and recitals. It holds a wealth of activities aimed at kids, including a regular Saturday club offering crafts, drama, story-telling and more. St James’ cinema shows some of the finest contemporary films as well as numerous foreign language films generally not screened at the popular cinemas. It’s a great place to catch up on films you missed first time round; you’re usually guaranteed a quiet auditorium without rustling wrappers and fidgets!

Apart from its creative pull, St James’ attracts too for its history. The building is, in fact, a feat of military architecture. Designed in 1569 by the Knights of St John, its original purpose was to provide raised gun-platforms to counteract land attacks. Since then, the fortified building has been used as a food store by the British Armed Forces, and later to house a government printing press. All this, before it underwent it last conversion to the centre for creativity.

For its calendar of events, check the St James’ Cavalier website.