Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1300177
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 OCTOBER 2020 10 CULTURE Teatru Manoel opens to socially-distanced audiences Get ready to enjoy new shows at Malta's beloved national theatre – with guidelines designed to keep you safe against COVID-19 THE COVID-19 pandemic has long denied us all the chance to take in a show in the grandeur of Teatru Manoel – but the time has come to safely return home to Malta's historic theatre. With new guidelines in the face of the pandemic – and a programme of new shows – Teatru Manoel is preparing to open its doors once again to so- cially-distanced audiences. To safely join the audience at the theatre for any part of its new programme, you will need to stay within its firm guide- lines. Beyond staying home if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have had direct contact with any positively-di- agnosed individual in the 14 days prior to the event, you are also encouraged to avoid pub- lic transport when travelling to the event and obliged to wear a face mask at all times within the building. While people can buy tickets from the booking office, Teat- ru Manoel is encouraging peo- ple to buy their tickets online. Only ticket holders will be ad- mitted to each event, whereby the ticket purchaser has con- sented to providing contact details upon booking to enable track and tracing where neces- sary. Upon arrival at the thea- tre, simply join the queue out- side – while maintaining a safe distance from others – where a staff member will check your ticket (preferably downloaded onto a mobile device), screen your temperature, and ask that you sanitise your hands be- fore proceeding. Once within the building, you should then maintain a safe two-metre dis- tance from others, including in the toilets. Meanwhile, the Manoel team will continue its stringent cleaning schedule to ensure a safe experience for all inside the building. "We are delighted to be, at last, reopening the doors at the Teatru Manoel to audiences eager to enjoy the atmosphere again of this unique theatrical institution," explains Teatru Manoel artistic director, Ken- neth Zammit Tabona. "We have been planning for this moment behind the scenes for months, earlier this year releas- ing an open call for local artists to submit ideas and projects for a new COVID-friendly pro- gramme. The first two exciting new shows created as a result will be a fitting way to celebrate the socially-distanced reopen- ing of the Manoel." The first of these shows will be a recital by Soprano Nicola Said on 23 October, in which she will sing a programme of pieces by Samuel Barber, Ar- thur Bliss and Alban Berg, ac- companied by pianist Christine Zerafa. Guest musicians at the event will also include Godfrey Mifsud playing clarinet, Na- dine Galea and Stefan Calleja on the violin and Desirée Quin- tano playing cello. ROOTS by Moveo Dance Company on 31 October prom- ises to be equally unforgettable. The performance presents Mo- veo Dance Company in a triple bill of dance and live music, in a collaboration between four renowned local artists: Dorian Mallia, Diane Portelli, Franc- esca Tranter and Tricia Dawn Williams. In addition, Teatru Manoel has also recorded various per- formances that will be streamed online, with artists such as the band Skald alongside author Trevor Zahra and actress Te- resa Gauci; a violin concerto by violinist Nadine Galea with pianist Christine Zerafa; and a new Toi Toi recital series featuring artists such as Nico- la Said, Clare Ghigo, Dorothy Bezzina, Luis Aguilar and Julie James. Meanwhile, the theatre has worked on a collaboration with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) to present a number of chamber concerts, with the first two set to be streamed online in October, while the rest will be performed for live audiences, including a 'Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 – Eroica' programme arranged for piano quartet by Ferdinand Ries. The new season's mix of live shows and online performanc- es will also include a physical theatre piece named 'World Trade Centre' directed by Ste- phen Oliver; 'Decameron', a promenade performance piece inside the theatre complex di- rected by Chris Gatt; and 'From Rona with Love', an original play written by Marta Vella and directed by Petra Sant. With new guidelines in the face of the pandemic and a programme of new shows Teatru Manoel is preparing to open its doors once again to socially- distanced audiences