Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/531627
2 TEODOR RELJIC THE Manoel Theatre and Uni- faun Theatre Productions are pleased to announce the World premiere of Edward Bond's new play The Price of One which was especially commissioned by both entities. The first performances will be at the Manoel Theatre on 8, 9, 10 April 2016. The Price of One will be jointly produced by Teatru Manoel and Unifaun Theatre Productions and is supported by the Malta Arts Fund Large Project Fund. It will be directed by Chris Cooper, who will also lead a Q&A session after each performance of the 70-minute play. It will feature a cast of Maltese actors. This is the first time a play- wright of international stature such as Edward Bond has been commissioned specifically to write for the Maltese theatre scene. The Price of One explores the theme of sanity and human- ity in today's consumer society. Speaking to MaltaToday, Uni- faun Theatre artistic director Adrian Buckle said that Edward Bond's involvement came about after the prolific Maltese theat- rical company staged a produc- tion of Bond's play Olly's Prison back in 2013. Bond f lew to Malta to watch the production, and Buckle suggested that he write a piece exclusively for the Maltese stage. However, since Bond's commis- sion was "too high" for Unifaun to make good on by itself, Malta Arts Council chairman Albert Marshall intervened to get the Manoel Theatre involved. "And it was fitting that such a project be premiered at the na- tional theatre of Malta," Buckle said. Asked what the main aim of this collaborative experience would be, Buckle said that the idea would be for "Unifaun is to generate excellent new theatre for the Maltese islands and to bring international attention to our shores". "We have great talent. I believe it should be paraded worldwide. This is a good exercise to do so. It is true that the play will be directed by Bond specialist Chris Cooper, who is British, but the cast will be made en- tirely of Maltese actors," Buckle said, adding that the production could also potentially travel out- side of Malta. "At the moment we are looking for ways to take it to the Edin- burgh Fringe in 2016," Buckle added. Edward Bond, arguably the world's greatest living play- wright, started writing in the 1950s whilst still in the army and very soon after was asked to join the newly formed writers group at the prestigious Royal Court Theatre in London. Since then he built a formidable career as a play wright, theatre director, poet, theorist and screenwriter. He has written over fifty plays as well as theoretical writings and academic letters on the theatre. He has inspired a great number of contemporary play wrights and his writing has had such an effect that his 1964 play 'SAVED' is widely credited with bringing an end to Theatre Censorship in the UK. Actors interested in audition- ing are requested to contact Unifaun Theatre Productions Artistic Director Adrian Buckle by sending a recent headshot on unifauntheatre@gmail.com. Available roles include two fe- male roles with acting age in their 30s, one male role in his 30s and one male role in his ear- ly 20s. Following its premiere at the Manoel in April 2016, the production will head off to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a whole month in August 2016. Booking for the play opens shortly at www.teatrumanoel. com.mt maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 24 JUNE 2015 News MAT THEW VELLA HOLLY WOOD director Luc Besson's new action thriller 'The Lake' is set to start film- ing in Malta very soon, af- ter producers spent the past months building extensive sets in Malta. The American-French thrill- er features Sullivan Stapleton (300: Rise of an Empire) and al- so Oscar winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash). Besson directed action thriller 'Lucy' in 2014, and has teamed up with director Ste- ven Quale for the new film. Besson is producing through his Europa Corp production banner, and the project is said to be one of the most expensive projects they've taken on to date. Sources said he will spend up to €10 million in Malta alone, where work is underway at the Rinella film studios now run by the government. J.K. Simmons, fresh off his Oscar win for Whiplash, joined the supporting cast of the film, which follows a group of Nav y SEALs who attempt to solve an age-old mystery involving a treasure underneath a lake in war-torn Serbia. Simmons is now reported to be one of the leads, as he's tak- ing the smaller role of the Rear Admiral. The SEAL team will be played by Sullivan Stapleton, Charlie Bewley (Like Crazy) and Di- armaid Murtagh (Sons of Lib- erty). Bewley is said to be playing the Stanton, who daydreams about what life would be like outside of the military while Murtagh will play Duff y, the more intro- spective of the group who has some mystery about him. The film is said to require a lot of underwater work and scuba training, which Quale is actually pretty skilled at, hav- ing worked with James Cam- eron on films such as Titanic and The Abyss. Film director Besson chooses Malta for underwater action thriller Acclaimed playwright Edward Bond to pen play for Maltese theatre Unifaun Theatre and the Manoel Theatre collaborate in the unique initiative, which will involve Maltese actors and premiere in Valletta in April 2016 Edward Bond (left) with British director Chris Cooper at St James Cavalier, Valletta in 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSEPH A. BORG Luc Besson