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My essentials GABRIELLE SARGENT Performer I'm a classically trained singer with experience in opera and theatre, performing in both intimate venues and larger productions. I've worked with directors and musicians on opera, chamber works, and contemporary pieces. I care about storytelling through music and the connection it creates. Off stage, I'm probably cooking, listening to music, or spending time with people I love. 1. Book 2. Film 3. Internet 4. Music 5. Place THIS is a difficult one. I love listening to music and discovering different gen- res. I adore Jessica Pratt and Laura Marling. Their writing and tone always stop me in my tracks. Lis- tening to opera can some- times make me over-criti- cal because of my training, so I tend to listen to other genres when I want to re- lax. Sometimes it's elec- tropop or disco, some- times something quieter. I just like hearing voices that sound real and carry feel- ing without needing to be perfect. HOME, Malta, and the sea are essential. I'm based in the UK but always feel grounded when I'm back. Being near the water resets me in a way nothing else does. I also love theatre spaces, walking into a rehearsal room or stand- ing side stage before a per- formance still gives me the same feeling it did when I started. Places with energy, memory, or calm stay with me and shape how I ap- proach both life and perfor- mance. AUDITION by Katie Kita- mura is a book I really en- joyed reading recently. It's about performance, identity, and the line between what we present and what we keep to ourselves. As someone who performs, that space feels fa- miliar. Kitamura's writing is spare but layered, letting you sit with the silences as much as the words. It reminded me that performance isn't always loud or certain. Sometimes it's the quiet, internal mo- ments that reveal the most. POOR Things is strange, bold, and brilliant. Emma Stone's Bella is fearless, and her journey feels both chaotic and deliberate. The film re- fuses to settle into one thing, and that's what I loved about it. It explores identity and freedom without neat an- swers, and the ending leaves you slightly off balance in the best way. It's stayed with me because it celebrates trans- formation and imperfection in a way that feels honest. I listen to a lot of podcasts, often while cooking or trave- ling. Some I come back to are How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, Strangers on a Bench, and Sidetracked. I like hear- ing stories that feel grounded and human, or ones that make me think differently about how people move through life. Podcasts have become some- thing I turn to when I want company or perspective with- out having to look at a screen. Compiled by Laura Calleja suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com 4 5 1 MaltaToday is supported by Arts Council Malta 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 OCTOBER 2025 ALMANAC 3 2