A small stage has been built at the Manoel Theatre to give a backstage view of a marionette show debuting in Malta before heading to Paris and China.
“It’s a behind-the scenes view from the front row. Hippolyte et Aricie ou la belle-mère amoureuse is a parody of Rameau’s opera Hippolyte et Aricie and it is unique in many ways,” said Katerina Rezacova, who decorated and dressed the puppets sculpted by her husband, Petr Rezac.
The show is being staged by the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles and the Manoel Theatre. It is part of the Valletta International Baroque Festival and will be performed at 8.30pm tonight and 5pm tomorrow. A special performance for secondary school students will be staged on Monday at 9.30am.
“The machinery and puppeteers who are usually behind the scenes will be in full view and the stage’s main curtain is transparent so the audience can see changes in the scenery,” Mr Rezac explained.
Two singers and five musicians, including a harpsichord player, will interact with the puppets, dressed in Baroque style, reviving the French opera’s spirit.
The production, which has burlesque elements, also takes a philosophical look at 18th century French society and, although it is in French, English subtitles will be projected on to the stage.
Ms Rezacova said the love story is based on a famous tragedy, given an amusing touch.
Its debut in Malta follows a general rehearsal in Paris in December and the team plans another show in the French capital in March and one in the Forbidden City, in Beijing, she added.
The Valletta International Baroque Festival began yesterday with Handel’s Messiah at the Ta’ Ġieżu church and will end with Villains and Lovers, a concert at the President’s Palace on January 26.
Some 2,000 tourists are flying in for the two-week festival, which promotes Valletta’s baroque identity.
A highlight is the Baroque Festival Ball held in the Manoel Theatre auditorium with a 10-piece band and string quartet led by Gjorgji Cincievski on January 25.
Venues include the Museum of Archaeology’s painted salon, the former Auberge de France, the Presidential Palace and several baroque churches.
Last year, more than 6,000 people attended events. More details at www.vallettabaroquefestival.com.mt and www.teatrumanoel.com.mt.