Journey through musical theatre

Young actor Ben Darmanin returns to Malta this month to put up a musical theatre performance at St James Cavalier, Valletta showcasing all he has learnt in the past three years at Margaret Howard Theatre College in London.

For A Musical Theatre Journey, Mr Darmanin brings with him three West End stars - Jane Webster (Phantom of the Opera and The Sound of Music) who will direct; musical director James Draisey (Saturday Night Fever and Fame); and dancer Heidi Ashton (Saturday Night Fever and Aida) - as well as two of his Maltese peers, dancer Dorian Mallia and singer Sarah Jane Attard.

"It is absolutely fantastic to be performing back home and to be part of a collaboration between West End performers and Maltese talent. I hope it inspires other people to follow their dreams," he said.

Mr Darmanin, 23, graduated last month and is looking forward to his next challenge: a coveted place at the Royal Academy of Music to study musical theatre.

"I am now looking forward to mastering what we like to call the triple threat: acting, singing and dancing, the three skills which form the essence of musical theatre," he said.

The performance at St James Cavalier, between August 22 and 23, showcases a collection of musical theatre numbers from contemporary musicals as well as shows going back to the 1940s. They include Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady, Fame, West Side Story and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Tickets at Lm5 are available from the St James Cavalier booking office. For information call on 2122 3200 or send an e-mail to boxoffice@sjcav.org.

The performance is supported by the Malta Tourism Authority, Marks & Spencer, Europcar, HSBC and Gasan Mamo Insurance.