Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1062629
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 DECEMBER 2018 CULTURE GawGaw is coming to 'town' THIS Christmas you're in for a treat, a treat in the dark that is! Close your eyes and open your ears because between the 19th and the 23rd of December the GawGaw is coming to the Es- plora Planetarium Hall. Teatru Malta will be closing off their programme with an audio sen- sory bang, and MaltaToday sat down with Chucky Bartolo, Samuel Farrugia, Joseph Zam- mit and Davinia Hamilton to tell us all about this special show! This is by no means a conven- tional pantomime, tell us what rehearsals have been like? S: So far rehearsals have been great, and the experi- ence has been an extremely positive one. The people in the cast are all very talented actors and they've welcomed me with open arms, I really get along with them! With each rehearsal I am learning how to improve my talent. Sometimes I worry that I'm not doing well enough, but then my fellow actors and directors always re- assure me that I'm doing just fine. Everyday, I look forward to go to rehearsals. C: Rehearsals have been ex- hausting, but non-stop fun. Acting around a microphone that can (literally) pick up a pin drop means you need to compress your 150% energy levels into something pleas- ant to listen to without losing any of the power. But that also means we get to play with dis- tances, whispers and snappy jokes like nothing we've heard before. It's an incredible pro- cess and we're learning new things every single second of rehearsal. D: Rehearsals have been a lot of fun! We are encouraged to play and explore the script by making mistakes and being al- lowed to take risks. Only when you take risks can you truly find the comedy in the charac- ters, and since we are playing so many different characters, it's been wonderful to be able to be playful and really exer- cise our acting muscles. If the actors are having fun, the au- dience is having fun too! We spent time physicalising the scenes; as a result, now that we are in the sound booth, which is quite a confined space, we have a bodily memory of the scenes that comes across in our vocalisation. It's also been really great getting to know my cast-mates and all of the other people involved in this show. We have good chemistry and there is a sense of camaraderie: we are all working hard to en- sure we deliver a truly memo- rable show. J: Rehearsals had been rather easy to begin with, as techni- cally all we could do was a line and cue. Once the equipment started moving in however, the difficulty curve shot sky high! Why do you think Malta needs more shows like GawGaw? S: In my opinion we need more shows like GawGaw not only in Malta, but in the world. The majority of peo- ple can't even imagine what it means to live with a disability. This panto allows the audi- ence to step into the visually impaired's shoes. They are in- vited to use their other sense to fuel their creativity and im- agination. People with disabil- ities also have the means and possibilities to delve into this and if a mainstream audience understands that, the person with disability will be more ac- cepted. C: Malta has a lot of work to do when it comes to being an inclusive island, particularly for people with disabilities. A show like this celebrates the fact that you're not "less than" for having a disability, and cre- ates an awesome show that's enjoyable for everyone from start to finish, rather than just providing a 'watered down' version to accommodate those who need it. If nothing else, shows like this challenge the idea of what's "expected of us" - and in the arts it's al- ways important to keep push- ing the boundaries of what we thought possible, and what is considered as the "only way of doing something". D: I think the world needs more shows like this one, not just Malta. Even working as an actor in London, I can see that accessibility and inclusivity are often tacked on to productions as an afterthought – if at all! By placing visually impaired peo- ple right at the centre of the creative process, this show is miles ahead – it ensures that our audience gets the same ex- perience, regardless of wheth- er they are sighted or not. It serves as an example: accessi- bility need not be thought of as an obstacle to theatre-making, but as an opportunity for in- novation. J: Malta can never have less innovative shows like this one. Remember this concept might very well be a world first, so yes, we need more. Usually pantos have a message to send out to their audiences, what would yours be? S: My message would be that we often have the tendency to judge people by how they look or by what they're able to do and many a time, we wouldn't be right. C: The knee-jerk cliche would be to not judge oth- ers on appearances, and while that's true I think the most im- portant message here is that with an audio-based panto, everyone can imagine all the characters as they like, but the spirit of the story comes to life regardless. We can all see the world from different perspec- tives, but the true meaning of love and compassion is the same no matter what. D: My message would be this: Theatre should be inclusive to all, regardless of ability, age, gender, race, sexuality, income or background. J: Simply that that warm feel- ing we have towards ourselves and each other this year sticks for the rest of the year. Why just keep that perspective for two weeks in december rght? Due to it's specific nature seating for this production is very limited so think ahead and be aware that this show is 75 minutes long and will be staged in complete dark- ness. GAWGAW is supported by Esplora, CRPD, Il-Premju tal-President, Arts Council Malta and LESA. For bookings visit teatrumalta.org.mt or call 21220255 for more informa- tion about evening shows and matinees. The Big Dancers' signature giant marionettes will also be bringing colourful pop-up street performances The team during rehearsals for the GawGaw