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THIS WEEK THEATRE maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 JUNE 2019 4 This is not your first rodeo aboard the Bard train - you've also appeared in WhatsTheirNames Theatre's dynamic adaptation of Measure for Measure at The Splendid earlier this spring. How would you say the two productions differ for you as an actress, both in terms of the intrinsic text itself, as well as the general approach to staging Shakespeare? I can't help but draw simi- larities between the two plays. They both share themes of forgiveness and justice, and keeping in mind that in 'The Tempest', the character of 'Prospero' has become female – 'Prospera' (played by Kate Decesare), I feel that both productions heavily deal with the behav- iours of certain powerful men towards women. Not to mention that both the 'Duke' and 'Prospera' both play the puppet master. This being said, 'The Tem- pest' is not as plot-heavy as Measure for Measure, giving it a slower pace, allowing the audience to see themselves as the characters, rather than questioning their moral codes. Both characters that I portray (Mariana in Measure for Measure, and Miranda in The Tempest) depend on men for their sense of independ- ence. Miranda is unbelievably naïve, and cannot be blamed for her dependence. Her de- pendence on Ferdinand is her step forward in life. On the other hand, Mariana is so en- gulfed in her sorrows, that her dependence is a way of giving up, yet she is fully responsible for her actions. I am really enjoying explor- ing Miranda after having played Mariana, as their end goals are similar; yet their personalities, backstory, and plots differ completely. Measure for Measure had a small cast and was performed in an intimate setting, mak- ing the plot and text itself the main focus. It was fun to play different characters too as I felt that we were all Young actress Michela Farrugia speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about returning to Shakespeare as she takes on the role of Miranda in The Tempest – produced by MADC in this year's edition of the annual 'Shakespeare at San Anton' productions From fury to forgiveness "The Tempest will be staged around a pool, with elaborate lighting: the spectacle of the theatrical experience takes centre stage" Teodor Reljic Matthew Ben Attard as Ferdinand (left), Michela Farrugia as Miranda (right) and Julia Camilleri as Ariel (back)