Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/368911
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 AUGUST 2014 38 THIS WEEK TAKING place in Eden Cinemas' multipurpose theatre, the Eden Comedy Club promises to deliver the very best in stand-up comedy, with a line-up from the UK com- edy circuit being f lown in espe- cially for the big night. Early bird tickets are now on sale for a limited time only, for €15 – 25% off the full price. The line-up for the night will feature acts that have made names for themselves both in the UK and internationally. Headlining is the 2013 winner of the 'New Act Of The Year' Award, Paul F Taylor. One of the UK's most exciting and distinctive stand-up performers, Taylor is particularly known for his "beautifully crafted one liners", as noted by GQ Maga- zine. Also performing on the night is Bobby Freeman, known for his fast paced and high-energy brand of storytelling. A regular at The Covent Garden Comedy Club as well as other es- tablishments in London, Freeman has also made a name for himself in the USA. The third act is Scottish Come- dian Neil McFarlane. From his different accents to his double en- tendre kind of humour, Neil will surely leave the crowd laughing uncontrollably. Last but not least is resident MC Geoff Whiting whose regular vis- its to Malta have made him a hit with audiences. For more information or to purchase your tickets visit w w w.edenculture.com.mt Early bird tickets out for Eden Comedy's 10th Stand-up comedy night The Eden Comedy Club will be hosting its 10th Stand Up Comedy Night on September 26 at 20:30 at Eden Cinemas Early bird tickets out for Eden Comedy's Performance that brings together language and music set for a re-run FOLLOWING its huge success at the recent edition of the Malta Arts Fes- tival, Kelma Kelma u Nota Nota, the collaboration between the facebook page Kelma Kelma and the Big Band Brothers, will be held again on August 27 at 21:00 at Pjazza Teatru Rjal. The performance, which bring to- gether language, music, social me- dia and personalities from popular literature, offers a unique experi- ence, where characters from fables, songs and rhymes come to life for an evening of song, music, poetry and word play. The project is the result of a collaboration between the Big Band Brothers, made up of 18 musicians, and Kelma Kelma, the facebook page about the beauty and possibilities of the Maltese language. With the participation of Ray Calleja and the Bezzina siblings, the perform- ance was first held on July 15 as part of the Malta Arts Festival. Its re-run is being organized through the initia- tive of Arts Council Malta, in collabo- ration with the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government under the patronage of H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the President of Malta. All proceeds from the event will go towards the Community Chest Fund. Administered by Dr Michael Spag- nol, Kelma Kelma is a Facebook page about the beauty of the Maltese lan- guage. The page produces a steady stream of colourful memes which deal with several linguistic issues, such as the word of the day, proverbs, puns and wordplay, nursery rhymes, curious word origins, linguistic trivia, and the like. In its first year, the page has garnered over 30,000 likes and has an average total weekly reach of 80,000 users. The Big Band Brothers is a musi- cal outfit that has been around since 2006, the brain child of percussionist/ singer Daniel Cauchi, today composed of a complete rhythm section, four trombones, four trumpets and five saxophones, similar to a traditional big band. The Big Band Brothers have so far taken their brand of live per- formance to Portugal, Sicily, England, Tunisia and Turkey. Since 2010, the Band has also produced its own con- certs, namely three editions of A One Night Stand with the Big Band Broth- ers, and Ftakar, a Malta Arts Festival commission. Big Band Brothers have also featured in various events and productions namely the sold-out production Ospizio, Għanafest2011, Discover University, 3D Event at San Lawrenz (in collaboration with Nafra Ensemble), ŻiguŻajg Kids and Youth Arts Festival Malta, and England's Brouhaha Festival, amongst oth- ers. In 2011 the band also recorded and launched its first single Rain or Shine. Tickets for the event are available from ticketline.com.mt or from the Embassy box office and from Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta. Tickets cost €15 or €10 for students and senior citizens. Free entrance for children under 12 on presentation of a ticket. Each child must be accompanied by one paying adult. This event is a free seated event; seats are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Il Trovatore cast announced LESS than two months away from the grandest night of classical music in Gozo, the Teatru tal-Opra Aurora is proud to announce a world-class cast for its production of Giuseppe Verdi's 4-act masterpiece Il Trovatore, due at the Aurora on October 11. The leading role of Leonora, the lady on whom two men cast their eyes when in fact she only loves one of them, will be interpreted by soprano Michele Crider who appeared in the title role of a very successful Tosca at the Aurora in 2011. Her two men will be Stuart Neill as Manrico and Marzio Giossi as Conte di Luna. Giossi returns at the Aurora after his highly acclaimed ap- pearance at last year's Falstaff as Mr Ford. While it will be the first appear- ance for Neill, the American tenor, like the soprano, is no new name to the world's most eminent stages such as New York's Metropolitan, Milan's La Scala, Vienna's Staatsoper and London's Covent Garden Royal Op- era House. The other very important role in this fiery plot – Azucena – will be interpreted by no less than Mzia Nioradze, another household name at New York's MetOpera and other lead- ing opera establishments. Il Trovatore has it all – a brave hero, a selfless heroine, an evil villain and, above all, four acts brimming with splendid music and some of the best- loved arias ever written by Verdi, and the Aurora is very hopeful that vocally and scenically it has got a reputable cast that will comprehensively rise to the occasion. The Aurora management is thus en- suring that this plot is brought to life with a flamboyant cast that brings to the tiny island of Gozo the star-qual- ity that rages wherever opera is sung across the globe. Despite being one of Verdi's hottest operas, as if fumes love and revenge amidst flames and pyres, the Aurora is pledging, for the first time, an air-conditioned opera auditorium. Tickets for Il Trovatore are on sale, at €80, €70, €60 and €45 with the 10% reduction offer ending by the end of August 2014. They may be purchased online via www.teatruaurora.com or from the Aurora Box Office, which may be contacted on 21559452 or by email info@leone.org.mt Bobby Freeman Paul F Taylor Neil McFarlane Geoff Whiting