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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 APRIL 2022 6 THEATRE A new home for theatre lovers Malta might be small, but its theatre scene keeps growing from strength to strength. Edward Mercieca, renowned actor and experienced theatre entrepreneur, talks about Theatre Next Door, the new performing space he and his team have created THEATRE Next Door is the brainchild of veteran actor Ed- ward Mercieca who, together with his wife Marika, is also director of FM Theatre Pro- ductions and co-founder of Stagecoach Performing Arts School (Malta). FM Theatre was formed 24 years ago and has since been synonymous with high quality drama productions including plays, musicals, and an annual panto. Apart from his tireless work in promoting theatre in Malta and nurtur- ing young thespians, Mercieca himself is perhaps best known for his larger-than-life panto dames. Never happy with the status quo, Mercieca has long dreamt of having a home for his production company which would also double as a creative hub where fellow theatre lovers would feel at home, which is how Theatre Next Door (TND) was born. "Marika and I have al- ways dreamt of having our own theatre," Mercieca shares. "That desire became stronger as state theatres became less amenable for hire in terms of dates and in terms of choice of play." It might sound simple enough, but it took the couple five years of sweat, blood, and tears to realise their dream. "We faced many challenges," he says. "Because we are theatre people, we knew exactly what we wanted and designed it in a way that we believe is an ideal space for performers. This was a new experience for everyone involved, including architects, engineers, designers, and con- sultants, so the challenge was bringing everyone on the same page — our page." Mercieca's vision was far more complex than a simple auditorium. TND boasts state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, a black box theatre with retractable seating, three studios/rehearsal rooms with sprung floors and mirrors, and a cosy cafeteria which was designed to maintain the wel- coming atmosphere of the old farmhouse that this building used to be. "This space is different be- cause it has been developed by theatre people for theatre peo- ple," says Mercieca. "It's homey, comfortable, and it's just next door to everyone." TND's name is, in fact, not a coincidence. It is situated in Magħtab, a central location which is easily accessi- ble to everyone. As for TND's calendar of events, it kicks off with Class, an award-winning play written by Iseult Golden and David Horan. The play is directed by Chiara Hyzler and stars Philip Leone-Ganado, Ti- na Rizzo and Nathan Brimmer. "We looked at a lot of poten- tial productions, however we thought Class was the right fit," Mercieca explains. "It's bril- liantly written, and we imme- diately thought Nathan, Philip, and Tina would be perfect for the roles. We also wanted to work with Chiara Hyzler, who is a wonderful director." Class will be followed by Ross & Rachel, written by James Fritz. "We were planning on do- ing Ross & Rachel in 2021, but we had to postpone our plans because of the pandemic," says Mercieca. "We feel that now is the right time to produce it and are so happy to have the very talented director Antonella Mifsud on board, as well as Ma- ria Buckle, one of the island's top actors." After years of hard work, the start of an exciting new chapter in Malta's theatre scene is now just days away. "We hope that Theatre Next Door will grow and develop into a 24/7 creative and performance space provid- ing artists with a place to hone their work and create cutting edge theatre where boundaries are continuously crossed," con- cludes Mercieca. Theatre Next Door is based at Triq Il-Kappella Ta' Santa Marija, Magħtab, NXR 6511. For tickets for Class and Ross & Rachel, visit the website at www. tnd.com.mt.