Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1528582
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 OCTOBER 2024 3 THEATRE PART of Teatru Malta's Bring It Back programme, Min Hi? re- turns to the stage. This show first bewitched audiences in 2019, sell- ing out its initial run and earning a nomination for a Premju għall-Ar- ti. This piece is directed by Ruben Zahra, one of Malta's most accom- plished contemporary composers and a theatremaker in his younger days having worked closely with John Schranz. This eerie produc- tion blurs the lines between thea- tre and dance, leaving an indelible mark on those brave enough to enter its shadowy world. Min Hi? created a storm of intrigue in 2019 with its eerie street installations, most infamously featuring the masked "Doll-Smasher" of Żeb- buġ. These unannounced, chill- ing performances sparked both fascination and fear across Mal- ta, setting the stage for the main event: a one-woman tour de force at the atmospheric Rialto Theatre. Under the spell of actress Lee-N Abela, the space transformed in- to a realm of dark mystery, with characters that twisted from one grotesque form to another, each more haunting than the last. Her limbs, contorted in eerie poses, and her voice, veering from chill- ing laughter to primal cries, cre- ated a nightmarish yet captivat- ing experience. The ever-present drip of water and shifting shad- ows only intensified the sense of foreboding that filled the theatre. Following its original run, Min Hi? was selected and produced for the Dance Festival Malta, where Zahra further explored the piece's physicality by translating its dark dramaturgy into choreographic movement. This evolution expanded Min Hi? beyond theatre, reimagining it as a macabre dance performance, featuring ŻfinMalta apprentice Nicole Chetcuti, that added a haunting physical dimension to the narrative, creating an even more immersive experience. Our vision for Min Hi? has since evolved, reimagined under Teatru Malta's Bring It Back in- itiative. This programme revives successful productions, breathing new life into them while embrac- ing sustainability by reusing sets, costumes, and props. In this re- worked version of Min Hi? She, revealed, Zahra combines the dark dramaturgy of the original with hypnotic choreography, pushing the boundaries of physical expres- sion and narrative. What was once a theatre piece has now become a choreography of sound, light, and movement, where every step and sound tells its own chilling story. Min Hi? now transcends language, blending Maltese and English to make it accessible to international audiences, yet retaining the raw, rhythmic power of Malta's native tongue. Zahra's atmospheric score, wo- ven from the sounds of the play itself—dripping water, footsteps, and shadowy whispers—adds to the immersive eeriness, drawing the audience into a world where horror and beauty collide, Lee-N Abela's performance is nothing short of transformative, her gro- tesque yet compelling movements embodying characters that both repulse and attract in equal meas- ure. She will perform once more, under the moonlit veil of Hallow- een, as Min Hi? She, Revealed prepares to haunt you anew at Theatre Next Door, Naxxar. Tickets can be purchased via teatrumalta.org.mt. Rated 16+ https://teatrumalta.org.mt/ events/min-hi-she-revealed/ Min Hi? She, Revealed, returns Photo by Matthew Mirabelli