Theatre
Il-Kennies tal-Ġenna
Pjazza Teatru Rjal

The impressions a place leaves on you can be powerful and lasting, while the personal detritus of memories which follows us everywhere we go, whichever path we choose, is the one thing, like death, that is truly inescapable.

Pjazza Teatru Rjal’s latest offering last week was Il-Kennies tal-Ġenna and dealt with this notion through several theatrical genres. Merging the idea of stand-alone scenic segments, interspersed with song and dance numbers and an occasional formal oratory audience address, Tony Cassar Darien’s interesting script was diverse in its subject content, marred only by the sensation that the performance was at times a tad disjointed, due to the sheer number of visual and generic elements on offer.

Weaving the main narrative of the Kennies himself – street sweeper Gianni, who chose his job by choice after personal circumstances led him to resign from his previous career as a bank manager – the script is loosely plotted to link Gianni’s story to the underlying narrative: that of our capital city itself. In fact, the historical development of Valletta and the impact it has on its visitors was the true focus of the performance.

Il-Kennies tal-Ġenna captured a slice of Valletta’s rich and diverse biography well

Director Josette Ciappara did an excellent job in blocking the piece and envisaging several scenes which carried a punch. Thanks also to Pierre Portelli’s set, with its clever projections, Chris Gatt’s lighting design and Paul Abela’s music, the piece was visually engaging and memorable.

Historical segments with Anthony Ellul as La Valette and Anton Saliba as Don Garcia shed a more human element to the well-known facts which are often taken for granted. I particularly enjoyed the slick opening scene of the entrance to Valletta over 24 hours in fast forward, combining music, videography and live stage movement.

The same can be said for the Tourist Scene, with Andy Catania as the tour guide, where the clockwork-like blocking was fast-paced and tight and the dialogue was both humorous and informative. Slick and tight too were the segments of choreography by Alison White. Catania showed a different side when he appeared in garish drag and sang a ballad as transvestite cabaret singer Didi, earlier in the piece, when this fictional character was at the height of her career in Strait Street.

Carlos Farrugia then portrayed the older, retired Didi in an interview set in contemporary times about her career in Strait Street and gave a poignant account of her quest for identity and acceptance.

Acceptance of another kind was desired by Kris Spiteri as the older Gianni, the street sweeper, and Andre Mangion as his younger self, Gianni the bank manager. As he moved from youth to adulthood and shouldered the responsibility of caring for a young daughter alone, Gianni seems to have had trouble relating to women and certainly had several bouts of bad luck in love.

Two of the better scenes were between the younger Gianni and his many loves: Ruth Borg as his first love interest, the silent, unnamed woman, and Marcelline Galea as Lena, the girl snatched away by death.

Mangion gave a solid interpretation as the younger Gianni, whose mood was generally morose, while Spiteri was plagued by the ghosts of his past – which manifested in what seemed to be an apparition, striking his peace of mind. Spiteri’s portrayal was mature and accepting for his new position in life – even happier, and certainly wiser.

I did find one scene, which saw the younger Gianni being ridiculed by his then Canadian/American girlfriend (her accent unplaceable in spite of a nasal twang), to be rather flat, especially in contrast with the stronger scenes which preceded and succeeded it.

Marta Vella’s monologue as the stage custodian at the fallen and semi-rebuilt Royal Opera House was both lighthearted and forthright, with a clever commentary on the arts and their status in Maltese society as well as the architectural regeneration project in the capital. It was a most pleasant piece to watch, and Vella’s vocal control and audience engagement confirmed that she was delving into her part with great gusto.

So too were Natalie Micallef and Mario Micallef in their highly entertaining segment as Gracie and Wenzu, two old-time frequenters of Strait Street – the former as a bar girl and the latter as a policeman, who reconnect one evening in their twilight years and reminisce about their wild youth when the place was still in its heyday. Micallef’s portrayal as Gracie was great fun to watch – as she nailed her character perfectly, as did Micallef’s charming Wenzu.

Il-Kennies tal-Ġenna captured a slice of Valletta’s rich and diverse biography well and related it to human emotional development in such a manner as to bring the capital city alive; acting as an appropriate tribute to a city “built by gentlemen for gentlemen” and now enjoyed by all.

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