Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/640308
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2016 31 This Week No, I did not choose all the sto- ries presented to me. Being re- al-life stories and under a theme which is common to all the nar- ratives gathered, i.e. searching for a home, my main reasoning was always to find ways of how I will engage spectators who will be willing to come share this experience with us, and how to maintain their attention, enough to get them face-to-face with the complexities of the life of a migrant. I chose according to the performers I cast for this "performance" and according to the two "migrants" who were willing to take a leap to narrate their own narrative. What was it like working with both professional and non- professional actors? What are some of the greatest challenges in this regard? The greatest challenge is prob- ably to be able to get two peo- ple who have no theatre train- ing whatsoever and to place them within a setting that is extremely demanding – that of being able to "perform". Apart from being a theatre director I am also an educator, so I have used my experience in this field in order to find an equilibrium that can withstand all of us put together. In a sense I do not distinguish between professional and non- professional, but at the same time that I am continuously aware of this reality as I get the four "performers" to grips with what needs to be done. All are doing their utmost and I believe we have something extremely unique to share with our au- diences. As a theatre director I have retained my usual de- mands, so to speak, so on the one hand the stakes are high especially for Marta and Ali but at the same time I wish that my aim to entice our audiences with a good quality, provocative "performance" will be reached. Knowing that the perform- ance dates of Rima also coin- cide with Unifaun Theatre's Lampedusa, are you glad that local artists appear to be willing to tackle the subject – from different angles – on the stage? Unifaun has always been at the forefront of our theatre scene by putting up theatre pieces that are relevant to today's context. RIMA will have migrants shar- ing their very own narratives alongside other stories collect- ed from migrants who are living here in Malta. Both initiatives deserve a thumbs-up from the local theatre scene. What do you make of the lo- cal theatre scene? What would you change about it? I think it is more than about time that in Malta we have a state-of-the-art theatre build- ing that hosts theatre perform- ances only. Theatre artists in Malta have no resources to work with, no rehearsal spaces, and no space where a would-be set design can be constructed to be used throughout the re- hearsal process. Rima: Encounter with migrant narratives will be staged at Pal- azzo Pereira, Republic Street, Valletta on February 26 and 27 at 20:00. Doors open at 19:30. Entrance is at €10, €12 at the door. Bookings: rimaproject16@ gmail.com. The Rima Project forms is associated with the Val- letta 2018 Foundation and sup- ported by the Malta Arts Fund PHOTOGRAPHY BY VIRGINIA MONTEFORTE Welcome to the madhouse They say that not all those who wander are lost, but are all those who aren't imprisoned free? IGGY FENECH chats to performer Lee-N Abela about playing the part of an 80-year-old woman in Alfred Buttigieg's new, controversial and eye-opening play, Mela Hawn Xi Manikomju? WE often use the word 'blessed' when it comes to people living longer. And why wouldn't we? We could die as babies or children, from misjudging how drunk we are to drive, from an illness, from an accident or at someone's hands. Many, in fact, are the perils we have evade to make it out alive at the end of every day, so living to a ripe, old age is indeed quite the miracle. But does life ever stop being worth living? And if so, when? When we retire? When we can no longer do everyday tasks like we used to? When the world just doesn't need our talents anymore? It's all a bit of a tug of war, between staying alive and staying relevant – and that's exactly the sentiment behind Alfred Buttigieg's latest, original play, Mela Hawn Xi Manikomju? And, as you can expect from a play entitled 'Do You Take Us For Some Madhouse?', you can rest assured that the controversy is ample, yet so are the laughs and the thought-provoking mo- ments. The story doesn't revolve around people in a men- tal institution though, but around four elderly ladies in a retirement home – a sort of gilded prison which the over-rational society they live in, their families and time have forced them to enter. Each woman faces her own reality but in very similar circumstances. "My character is a boisterous, street-wise, foul- mouthed and unforgiving 80-year-old woman with a razor-sharp mind. Life has left her feeling very bitter and frustrated. She's got no aims or ambitions outside this rehabilitation centre; nothing to look forward to, except for her cigarette escapades," explains Lee-N Abela, who will be playing the part of Lina. "She's a troubled woman, living in a hospital and she is just not happy. I can relate to her liberal ways and her outspoken personality but I've found it very chal- lenging to tap into her dark bitterness and the under- lying pain she is carrying in her heart. Lina lost her passion in and for life, and instead of bettering herself, she constantly self-destructs, pulling everyone down with her." Lee-N has been in the industry for 15 years, and has played parts in Alfred Buttigieg's Ir-Rewwixta tal-Qas- sisin, Carolyn Gage's The Second Coming of Joan of Arc, and Samuel Beckett's Not I here in Malta. Yet she has also had a flourishing career abroad, where she's had roles in Strindberg's Miss Julie alongside Juliette Binoche at The Barbican Centre, and in David Erdos's direction of Pinter's Landscape at The Cockpit Thea- tre, and even directed a sold-out performance of Nick Brown's Sister for the Moon, which formed part of the Camden Fringe Festival. Yet, when I asked if there was anything particularly challenging about playing the part of Lina, she imme- diately mentioned her age. Of course, as many may assume, it's always easier to play an age you've been than an age you haven't, mostly because the mind frame you need to put yourself in is something you just can't tap into at that point. But Lee-N is definitely up to that challenge. "When I read the script, it really spoke to me. I am familiar with Alfred's work, so I kind of had an inkling that it was going to be a great, controversial, meaty piece of work," she explains. "This tragic-comedy play is very real, hard-hitting and captivating. It's raw and funny, and we believe that everyone will connect with the characters for various reasons. It's a beautiful bit- tersweet story where people will laugh and think how will we end up in our golden age?" Lee-N will be joined on stage by Lilian Pace, Ninette Micallef and Teresa Gauci, who will be playing the parts of Guzeppa, Mena and Gerit respectively, as well as Roberta Briffa, Andre Mangion and Charles Sam- mut. The direction is in the hands of Tyrone Grima, a trained actor-cum-director known for his work in Bariona (2010), Bwani (2013) and Children of a Lesser God (2015), among others. With the play kicking off in less than three weeks' time, rehearsals are well on their way, of course. But when I ask Lee-N about them she tells me that she's been 'sworn to secrecy' to not release any of the de- tails – I, for one, find that incredibly intriguing. What could they be up to? I guess we'll have to wait to find out. Alfred Buttigieg's Mela Hawn Xi Manikomju? will be performed at Spazju Kreattiv (St James Cavalier) on March 4, 5, 6 and 11, 12, 13 at 20:00. Tickets are at €15. Bookings: www.kreattivita.org, 2122 3200. The play is certified 18+ and is being supported by the Malta Arts Fund We're all mad here… Lee-N Abela in Alfred Buttigieg's play, Mela Hawn Xi Manikomju?