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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 FEBRUARY 2024 4 ALMANAC My essentials MARK MIFSUD 39, theatre, TV and film actor Mark Mifsud is a prolific actor with a career spanning over 20 years. Mark's passion for the performing arts started quite early, when as a teenager, he reluctantly agreed to join his village's theatre troupe purely to socialise. However, it quickly evolved into a passion for the theatrical world, and after years of honing his craft, he gained notoriety when he got cast as young heartthrob Gerome in the hit TV series Gizelle. Mark has since starred in a multitude of local TV productions over the years, including L-Evangelisti, Angli, Ic-Caqqufa and currently Noli. He has also featured in several international film/TV productions, including Devil's Double, Sinbad, Omicidio su Misura and Queen of the South. Recently, he has re-ignited his involvement in theatre with roles in Appuntamenti, Repubblika Immakulata, Ma Kuragg u wliedha and is currently performing Lovesong, an FM Theatre production at Theatre Next Door. 4 5 1. Book 2. Film 3. Internet / TV 4. Music 5. Place ALTHOUGH I'm always scrolling through some kind of online content, I don't particularly like the world of social media. I do not follow any specific influencers and don't really have an active presence on these platforms. However, I must admit that I often find myself spending (wasting?) hours on Wikipe- dia, reading through topics of general interest about an- ything that grabs my atten- tion. Every article spirals me to delve deeper into related topics, often forgetting what I started reading about in the first place! A bit of everything. I don't have a favourite genre of music, or a genre I dislike in general. In fact, I would typically listen to songs from a vast range of musical genre and styles, if the song is good. From rock to dance, to R&B to jazz… if it's a good song, I'll listen to it. Having said that, I do have a soft spot for pieces that showcase prowess and talent from the musicians. And with the advent of new technol- ogies (and our misguided use), I am afraid we are moving towards a world of artless artists who have nothing to say or cannot inspire. A world where talent, creative ability, hard work and artistry no longer matter - the death of music, in oth- er words. WITH my wife and I both being history buffs, our travels usually lead us to places of historical significance… cities like Rome, Cairo or Athens. But if you had to ask me where in the whole world I'd rather stay, right now I would an- swer "home". My acting work has taken me away from my family for quite a while in the last few months. So, I'm really longing for some qui- et family time at home, with my wife and kids. AS a new theatre season ap- proaches, my reading inevita- bly shifts towards play scripts, rather than books, including any research literature that helps my preparation. Spe- cifically, my two main reads right now are Lovesong by Abi Morgan and Hedda Gabler by Norwegian playwright Hen- rik Ibsen; both of which I'll be performing soon. Lovesong is the story of an elderly couple living their last days together, intertwined with glimpses of their younger selves, explor- ing the evolution of their re- lationship and the individuals within. A recent film I saw that left me buzzing for days was The Foun- tain, a 2006 film by one of my fa- vourite filmmakers, Darren Aro- nofsky. I consider this to be a truly balanced masterpiece across all the elements of filmmaking. The plot is captivating, with a non-lin- ear narrative that seamlessly spans three distinct eras. The acting is impeccable. The visual design is astounding with light design used as a powerful aid to narration and special effects created with clev- er use of rudimental techniques, rather than relying on CGI. The soundtrack is a piece of art worth listening to on its own. As you can see, I can't stop praising this film to this day! Compiled by Laura Calleja suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com 1 This page is supported by Arts Council Malta 2 3