Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/497863
II This Week maltatoday, SUNDAY, 19 APRIL 2015 Modern classic charting What made you decide that now would be the right time to stage this play on the local stage? It's actually taken me (and the MADC) over a year to get this play to the stage due to the availability of rights, venue and the right cast but at last, it's here. It is of particular relevance to the local scene now because Malta has just gone through the largest legal overhaul in terms of granting equal rights, marriage and adoption for gay people in over sixty years. This invariably affects society's outlook and behaviour towards anyone who had been marginalised and discrim- inated before. What would you say makes the play a universal, enduring experience? The Pride spans over sixty years (to date) as it examines changing at- titudes to sexuality. I think that this, and the fact that it is so beautifully written, will eventually propel this play into the timeless classic genre. It has already been described as a 'modern classic' and 'era-spanning masterpiece' and since its premiere in 2008 at the Royal Court in Lon- don has been performed in over 20 countries. It is both a historical and contemporary drama and makes an equal comment on the two eras it tackles (the 1950s and present day). This relevancy, I believe, will make The Pride a universal enduring experience. How would you describe this play when compared to others you've directed? To be fair this is only the third play I'm directing so I don't have too much to compare it to. The first play I did was one I had written so I obviously had an extremely clear idea of what the playwright wanted to achieve. I also had the luxury of being able to better the text when necessary. The second play was the wonderfully written one-woman play by Willy Russell 'Shirley Valentine' which starred Isabel Warrington. With a great script and such a talented actor who grasped the role fully my primary role as director was really one of ensuring that the action and pace were sustained. The Pride is set in two very dif- ferent periods, it has four actors playing a total of seven characters and is set in the round, so as direc- tor, the job of whom is to be the eyes and ears of the audience, is that I have to have a 360-degree view of the action. What have been some of the greatest challenges in directing The Pride? The greatest challenge has un- doubtedly been in ensuring clarity between the 1950s and present-day as the scenes alternate between the two consistently. I've made my job slightly harder (although I think artistically it's the right decision) in not having a visual reference that a set provides but I hope the costumes will act as an obvious Under the MADC banner, Michael Mangion will be directing a production of Alexi Kaye Campbell's The Pride. He speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about taking on this 'modern classic' which explores our changing attitudes to sexuality from the 1950s onwards Sexual Awareness in families and schools A conference regarding: With the participation of: Evarist Bartolo Minister of Education Franklin Barbara General Secretary MUT Claudette Buttigieg PN Shadow Minister Gabi Calleja Coordinator MGRM Nicholas Briffa Trainee Sexologist Nickie Vella de Fremeaux Lawyer Register on www.hrconsulta.com or email on info@hrconsulta.com Thursday 23rd April Victoria Hotel Sliema 18:00 Hrs Entrance Fee: €20 Parking and coffee break included Michael Mangion "Since as director I have to be the eyes and ears of the audience, my job is to have a 360- degree view of the action"