Chekhov, Ebejer at arts festival tonight

The events the Malta Arts Festival has lined up for today are Anton Chekhov's Vaudevilles at La Vittoria Bastion Ospizio in Floriana and Għażiż Francis at the Auberge de Castille courtyard in Valletta.

In collaboration with Actinghouse Productions, Anton Chekhov's Vaudevilles is also being performed until Friday, starting at 9 p.m.

Founded in 2002 by German actress Irene Christ and Maltese journalist Julian Manduca (1958-2005), Actinghouse Productions is a theatre company, working with Maltese/European teams and German theatre directors. Its approach is contemporary, even with classical plays. It is performing two of Chekhov's brilliantly written one-act comedies, called by the author himself the Vaudevilles.

The Harmfulness Of Tobacco is directed and acted by Tobias Lehmann. The Bear is being directed by Stephan Baumecker, with Irene Christ as the widow, Edward Mercieca as the landowner and Graham Arnold as Luka, with Yuri Charyguine on the accordion and violinist Nemanja Ljubinkovic.

Għażiż Francis is directed by Peter Busuttil and Katlina June and also starts at 9 p.m. Author Francis Ebejer, to whom the Francis in the title refers, is Malta's most important playwright and novelist of the post-war period. He wrote most of his fiction in English and published it in the UK and the US, but wrote most of his plays in Maltese, although he translated many of them into English. Għażiż Francis was researched, written and adapted by Marco Galea, using Ebejer's works, with the participation of Pino Scicluna and Peter Busuttil.

Other actors include Daniela Vella, Marcelline Galea, Ruth Sammut Casingena, Jo Caruana, Chiara Hyzler, Eileen Spiteri, Eliza Farrugia, James Camilleri, Manwel Cassar, Rene Pace, Maurizio Gauci, Mark Schembri and Colin Fitz. The music is by Aldo Spiteri and Mark Spiteri, while Keith Chetcuti and Chris Mallia are responsible for the technical direction. Tickets at €8 are available from www.maltaticket.com, or Exotique, Agenda, Vodafone, Bookends and Newskiosk.

www.maltaculture.com, www.maltaartsfestival.com