Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546635
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 SEPTEMBER 2026 CULTURE From a young girl's dream to graduating in Musical Theatre from ArtsEd, London WHAT began at the age of six as an effort to build her self-confidence gradually de- veloped into something much bigger for Martina Galea Lof- freda. Almost 15 years later, the 21-year-old has graduated with a BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre from ArtsEd in Lon- don, the performing arts school that had become her dream. Her journey began in Malta, where she trained in musical theatre and was given oppor- tunities to perform both locally and in the UK. From a young age, she took part in showcases at prestigious London theatres, experiences that helped her re- alise that performing was more than simply a hobby. "That was when I realised this wasn't just a hobby for me. I wanted to do this professional- ly," she recalls. As her training progressed, Martina moved from show- cases into full-scale musicals. In the UK, she performed in 3 productions with the Nation- al Youth Music Theatre, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Kiss for Cinderella and Into the Woods. In Malta, she per- formed in The Addams Family and Sweeney Todd, and played Principal Girl in Ċikku and the Chocolate Panto at the Manoel Theatre. Her experiences in the UK also brought her into contact with mentors who had either trained at ArtsEd or taught there. She admired not only their talent, but also the quali- ties they brought to their work. "They were all people with strong personalities, a real determination to work and a strong ability to work as part of a team. Something that's particularly important in the performing arts industry," she says. ArtsEd's reputation, high stu- dent success rate and strong industry connections further strengthened Martina's desire to study there. Getting a place, however, was far from easy. The audition process was highly competitive but after a nerve-racking audi- tion period, her dream became a reality in March 2023 when she received her ArtsEd offer. An offer that also represented the beginning of a major new chapter in life as she prepared to leave Malta and move to London. Three years of intensive train- ing followed, during which Martina worked with experi- enced industry professionals, developing her skills across act- ing, singing and dance, growing into a strong triple threat. But her training taught her lessons that went beyond per- formance. "One of the biggest things I have learnt is to always be my- self," she says. "In an industry full of wonderful, talented peo- ple, the only thing that could set you apart is being you. There is no point in trying to be anyone else other than yourself." She also learned the impor- tance of building a sustaina- ble career while maintaining a healthy balance between her professional ambitions and life outside the industry. Her training culminated in her final year productions, in- cluding Amélie, in which she played Suzanne, and London Road, where she performed in the ensemble. One of her most memorable ArtsEd experiences came on the opening night of her first third-year show, Amélie. "It was a very special evening. It was a moment where everything and everyone with- in my course truly merged and connected on a deeper level. It was also a moment of pride across our year group as we got the opportunity to show- case the performers we had be- come." Two months before com- pleting her training, Martina took another important step towards a professional career when she signed with 33 Enter- tainment Group. "It was a very special mo- ment," she says. "It was the moment where doors opened to many new and exciting op- portunities which I had been working for my entire life." Her BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre was conferred at the end of July, with her gradua- tion celebration taking place on September 1. Now, as she enters the profes- sional world, Martina is look- ing forward to securing her first acting job while exploring the many different avenues within the creative world. "Even though my heart be- longs to musical theatre, I have realised that there are so many different avenues that allow one to be creative," she says. "I would love to create my own work and expand my skillset whilst I audition for big projects within the UK and globally." For now, her focus is on put- ting everything she has learned into practice, building her pro- fessional career and making what she loves most her full- time career. Looking back Martina says she would find it difficult to explain to her six year old self just how far that first step into musical theatre would take her. The little girl who began her journey in Malta could never have imagined that she would one day graduate from her dream school in London. Her message to that little girl would be simple: keep dream- ing big, keep working hard and above all, keep believing be- cause everything falls into place in due time. Martina's studies at ArtsEd were supported by the Malta Arts Scholarship Scheme and the BOV Joseph Calleja Foun- dation. The men Jean Genet's play The Maids comes to Theatre Next Door this October – with a rare all-male cast. Actors Victor De Bono, Malcolm Galea and Anton Saliba share their approach to telling Genet's tale of identity, class and the line between fantasy and reality CLAIRE and Solange, the sisters at the centre of Jean Genet's The Maids, play a dangerous game whenever their mistress is ab- sent – dressing up as Madame, taking turns to command and grovel, and rehearsing her mur- der. For a play this consumed by pretence, Genet's own instruc- tion – rarely honoured since he wrote it in 1947 – was that men should perform all three roles, in one further act of impersona- tion. Most productions have cast women anyway. This October at Theatre Next Door, the play tilts back towards its author's wishes. Victor De Bono, Malcolm Galea and An- ton Saliba lead a new production under British director Scott Le Crass, in Martin Crimp's trans- lation – a Malta first – produced by Adrian Buckle and De Bono himself. De Bono plays Solange, the el- der sister. "I can identify with Sol- ange as an older sister to Claire – she is dominant, protective and loving," he says. "She loves their dressing-up and role-switching ritual, which fills her with a de- sire for revenge and spite that cannot otherwise be fulfilled. Solange is a game changer." De- spite wearing two hats as both actor and co-producer, De Bono focuses entirely on performance during rehearsals. "There are so many intricacies and discoveries to be made that there is no time to discuss the production side at all," he adds. "They are two dif- ferent worlds." Martina Galea Loffreda