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My essentials PAOLO MICALLEF 23, theatre performer Half Gozitan, half Maltese to parents from the capital of each. Born in Gozo and raised in Baħar iħ- ħagħaq, trained at MPAA in the UK and performed in the industry both in Malta and the UK where I currently live and work. I like to consider myself a nice person but to the industry I would be a triple threat. My dream and objective is to one day be performing on the West End. Currently, I am playing Luke Castellan on the UK tour of The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical, and in the December panto season I will be playing Aladdin in the Northwich production. In January it is back on tour, starting in Cardiff. When not performing, I am either with friends, at the gym or deep into a video game. 1. Book 2. Film 3. Internet 4. Music 5. Place AJR, Half Alive and Im- agine Dragons are three of my go to bands that play a loop on my Spotify. Besides them, two solo artists who blow me away every time are Ren and Connor Price. Their music really speaks to me—it has taught me how to step into other peo- ple's shoes and experience the world through their perspective. IN the UK it is always the little or big parks that dot every city I have been. Back home in Mal- ta there is a little spot close to where I live where land meets the skies over the sea – it is my favourite place to go for silent tranquillity and fresh air. It is an ideal space to recharge, ground myself and be grateful for the country I work in, and for my homeland. THE last book I read was The Lightning Thief. I wanted to dive into the character I am currently playing to really understand him in depth. I also picked up The Demigod Diaries, which gave me a lot of insight into his backsto- ry. Before the tour, I listened to the audio book The Ac- tor's Art and Craft: William Esper Teaches the Meisner Technique. It is a fascinating take on acting technique, and I found it super helpful for learning how to structure my characters. BECAUSE of the nature of my work, I do not usual- ly get much time to watch films. The last one I saw was the live-action How to Train Your Dragon. That trilogy was a huge part of my child- hood, so seeing those char- acters and stories brought to life was honestly cool. One of my dreams is to perform in a show or film that has that same kind of impact on its fans. I definitely recommend it! I don't watch a lot of TV, but I have been hooked on an Amazon Prime streamed series, Hazbin Hotel. Though known for its mature themes, what really stands out to me is how much depth and mystery each character has. Plus, it is an animat- ed musical series, with two to three songs per episode, and the cast is in- credible, featuring Broad- way and film profession- als, amongst whom the great Christian Borle and Alex Brightman. If you are into musical theatre, it is a must-watch. Compiled by Laura Calleja suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com 4 5 1 MaltaToday is supported by Arts Council Malta 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 NOVEMBER 2025 ALMANAC 3 2