A little bit naughty

It’s not often you can grab your buddies and yell: “Come on guys! Let’s go watch some porn!” Not unless you want to be ousted from society that is. But writer Malcolm Galea is quite at home with bending the rules of society when it comes to his work, and he thought it might be fun to write a full-blown, original musical on the naughty topic. Musicians Boris Cezek and Kris Spiteri teamed up with him to write the music to accompany Malcolm’s witty lyrics.
“Boris and I had been talking about doing a concept album together for ages,” explains Kris, “and after some time discussing we actually realised that having a story staged would be more fun. I cannot really remember who brought up the subject of Porn: The Musical first, but I remember the grin on our faces at the mere thought it!”
The show has been on the go since mid-2008, and is now just days away from its first launch. While the subject matter may seem a little odd, the story line is fresh and plenty of fun.
“The story has all the wide-eyed wonder of a Disney movie, except this definitely isn’t for the kids,” laughs Malcolm. “The show follows young Stefan, a Maltese guy who is shattered by his fiancée’s slutty revelation, and heads off to America in search of a new life. What he finds is an exciting group of friends in an industry that takes some getting used to. Unless their latest movie turns out to be highly profitable, the studio will be shut down and so they all embark on a desperate musical adventure while in search of their happy ending.”
The show includes such songs as I’ve got a Phd, The Kind of Girl I am, and Naked on a Sunday, and its candid topic has raised a few eyebrows. How are the cast coping with the whole “taking part in Porn” thing?
“Pornography is just the setting for the story,” explains Max Dingli who plays Stefan. “It adds that extra spice to the whole thing and sets the scene for many of the laughs (some of them intentional). The music is fantastic, the plot is suitably cheesy but sweet, the situations are funny and everyone is (nearly) always smiling. The whole play is as wholesome as can be, notwithstanding its dodgy subject matter, and the cast are fantastic. Although mostly made up of relative unknowns in the theatre world, the casting was terrific and I often find myself thinking of my co-actors in terms of their character rather than their real-life persona. Anyway, do you really need more reasons to watch Porn?”
The cast also includes the talents of Trinity Fava, Suzanne Wadge, Louis Cassar, Toni Attard and David Ellul.
Actress Trinity Fava may not have much in common with her “super slutty” character Jade, but she is loving the experience of forming part of Porn. She said: “I would not be proud to sing So Young And Yet So Slutty in my everyday life but that’s the whole thrill of it all. For me to be chosen as the baddie, of the show, is an exciting challenge which I relish, because I have to adopt personality that is completely different to mine.
“Now that I know what it is all about I see Porn the Musical as a cartoon for adults, with all the required ingredients for a superb show. The music is very well written and the musicians, actors, singers and supporting staff are all up to making it an excellent production. To me it is a great mix of good music and good laughs; in fact just up my street.
Who wouldn’t want to come and watch an original production and support local talent anyway?”
So in a local arts industry where many may have thought a full-blown, wholly-local musical was impossible it’s time to think again. And in a world where many may have thought that a full-blown musical about porn was impossible, it’s time to think again.
“Porn is going to be a completely original and absolutely fantastic show that is locally created,” adds Malcolm. “It will make for a really fun evening and many good belly laughs. Then, when you leave, you can take the memory of the music with you to keep you smiling for ages. What more excuses do you need?”

Porn the Musical is at the MITP today and tomorrow and on March 13, 14 and 15.Tickets may be obtained from St James by phone on 2122 3200 or by e-mail: boxoffice@sjcav.org">boxoffice@sjcav.org.

Source: Weekender, March 7, 2009