Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/739032
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2016 39 How would you describe the festi- val in a nutshell? Tiziana Calleja: The Maltese Is- lands Festival is a copetition-based performance platform for amateur performing arts practitioners and students. It is open to both adults and children across music, dance, sing- ing and drama genres (pop/modern and classical). Individual and group applications are available. The par- ticipant performs a piece from their chosen category in front of both a public audience and an interna- tional adjudicator qualified in the respective field. Family and friends can support from the audience, and participants are encouraged to watch the rest of their category par- ticipants perform. Written, personal feedback is given for each applicant/ group in an effort to provide a solid educational, quality-driven focus to the Festival. Medals and plaques will be awarded to the top performers in each category based on international standards. A supportive and encour- aging atmosphere will be curated in order to promote a safe, positive space for the performer. How did the idea of the festival come about, and how did it devel- op further? Calleja: The Festival was estab- lished to provide more performance opportunities for those training and practicing in the performing arts. Many young performers do not have solo performance experience out- side of closed exams. Many adults no longer have open opportunities to perform. Many dance schools have to pay to go abroad to gain inter- national feedback and benchmarks. We believe that a local platform is necessary and serves the wider per- forming arts community. Festival applicants are open access to all levels of ability and age; howev- er the presence of an adjudicator en- sures that quality and standards are still registered and promoted. This in turn promotes good practice, quality training and a strong educa- tional focus. The four adjudicators will be brought from abroad, and were selected from the official regis- ter of adjudicators from the British and Internation Federation of Fes- tivals for Music, Dance and Speech. This offers international bench- marking and unbiased perspectives from experienced practitioners. Winners will not be awarded if the standards in the category are not high enough – this is to give recog- nition that mastering an instrument, dance or vocal technique takes time, dedication and practice. What do you make of the level of cultural education and the arts scene in general in Malta? What would you change about it? Cathy Lawlor: The number and variety of cultural opportunities available in term of training are vast and increasing – this is certainly a positive. However, performing arts teachers, schools and practitioners have a responsible to ensure high quality training is passed on. We are slowly moving forward on this with a new emphasis on obtaining recognised teacher qualifications. The University has enhanced its performing arts department with a more practical-based focus and MCAST has also launched its own performing arts course. Although a specific conservatoire/academy is still not on the cards we are moving in the right direction. I would per- sonally like to see more investment in practical music participation in schools beyond the Christmas and prize day presentations, and a real push towards promoting Music as a subject for O-Level and A-Level in mainstream education. Finally, what can audiences ex- pect from the event? The Festival itself will be taking place throughout St James Cavalier (theatre, music room, studio and cinema) on December 2, 3, 4 as part of the Spazju Kreattiv programme and will be open for members of the public to attend with a low-cost day ticket. It promises to be lots of fun for families and friends to go along to support performers, as well as for the general public. For more information on the Festi- val, log on to http://www.themalte- seislandsfestival.com/ What did you find most intrigu- ing about this play, and why did you think it would be a good fit for the current Maltese theatrical climate? Death and the Maiden deals with whether we have the power to for- give and whether vengeance takes away the pain we have endured for years. A taut psychological thriller, Dorfman has crafted a clever script which leaves the audience with many questions. It is a play I have been wanting to direct for a few years, but as is always the case when considering a play I want to direct, pinning down the right actors is of paramount importance. Some- times, these actors come along at the right time. However, this play is multi-dimensional, the characters are complex and require many risks in performance. It is very easy to make this play a melodrama, which it is not. The play appears to tackle the theme of totalitarianism, and its implications. What would you say is the most important element of this when it comes to the hu- man drama we see unfolding dur- ing the play? With so many dictatorships and military juntas falling over the last twenty years and being replaced by democratically elected govern- ments – take for example, Libya, Iraq, the Balkans – the urge is al- ways to purge the sins committed on political opponents and to wipe the slate clean. But for those who are the victims, does that pain ever go away? In Death and the Maiden, Paulina has been one of those vic- tims, haunted by the torture she endured. Her husband Gerardo has been appointed to the Commission to investigate these crimes, in the hope that the country can put the sins of the past behind it. Into this scenario, comes Roberto Miranda, a doctor. But is his voice that of her torturer? How did you go about selecting the cast of this play, and what were your criteria? Why do you think this particular group of ac- tors are suited to this play? I have been incredibly fortunate that the three actors I cast were all available at the same time. I have been a great fan of Sharon Bezzina's work, particularly her portrayal in Children of a Lesser God. Victor Debono I was lucky to work with in Festen and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Steffan Cheriet Busutill, in my first production in Malta, where he played Christian in my production of Festen. They have molded into an excellent, tight cast and their performance styles not only complement one another, but their characterisations are to- tally believable. What do you hope audiences will get out of the play? Maltese audiences are in for an exhilarating ride and will leave the play with many questions and there are many shocks in store for them. What do you make of the local theatre scene? What would you change about it? In my three years in Malta I have been very lucky to not only direct some of Malta's finest actors but also to appear alongside them as an actor. Malta theatre is vibrant and diverse with theatre companies mounting a vast range of produc- tions. Long may this continue! Di- recting is sometimes all about risk, both in selecting and producing plays. Fortunately, Masquerade are prepared to take that risk. What's next for you? Next I appear as the baddie in Masquerade's pantomime Puss in Boots followed by appearing as the Colonel in MADC's Black Comedy in January. Death and the Maiden will be staged at the Blue Box, M Space, Msida on October 21-23 and 28-30. All shows start at 20:00. Bookings: 7979 3737 or 2124 6619; www.blue- box.com.mt This Week Clean slates are a myth Director and actor Stephen Oliver speaks to TEODOR RELJIC ahead of him taking on directorial duties for Death and the Maiden, a psychological thriller by Ariel Dorfman that examines the aftereffects of a dictatorship on a woman who suspects her former torturer has come back into her life Serving the wider performing arts community Ahead of the very first edition of the Maltese Islands Festival, Manager Cathy Lawlor and spokesperson Tiziana Calleja speak to MaltaToday about the debut edition of this family-friendly festival Sharon Bezzina and Victor Debono in Death and the Maiden