Mischievous creatures from the underworld are about to surface and see the light as they take to the stage for a rock musical extravaganza this week.
Inspired by fascinating and somewhat sinister creatures from Maltese legends and myths, Belliegħa gives life to monsters who were once the focus of many a childhood tale but who have, in recent years, taken a back seat in the great auditorium of collective memory.
All this is set to the biggest hits from the world of rock, including songs by Bon Jovi, Pink Floyd and Simon and Garfunkel, to name a few.
The timing of this musical is certainly topical, with popular TV series like Once Upon a Time and Grimm both currently in their sixth season, though Yandrick Agius and James Camilleri from DLS Productions say that their inspiration was more local.
“The real spark to the flame was the book The Maltese Bestiary by Stephen D. Mifsud, which one of our production team happened to come across while browsing in a bookstore,” Agius says.
The myth of the Belliegħa tells of a legendary well dweller and was used to scare young children into staying away from wells
From there, the team set about developing the script, written by the musical’s director, Lucienne Camilleri, and edited by Maria Agius. This in turn went through countless revisions with tweaks and adjustments still ongoing as the cast rehearse.
The musical is divided into two acts and weaves classical rock music into an original script written in-house.
“The concept of writing our own music is also something we considered, although that will have to wait till a later production,” Camilleri says.
Despite being set in Malta and featuring local mythology, the musical is in the English language.
“Popular rock music is a key component of the show and this wouldn’t really gel with a Maltese script. We also wanted this show to appeal to foreigners so that they can get a taste of this aspect of our culture,” Camilleri points out.
Work on the production started at the beginning of 2015 with the script and song list finalised last January. Open auditions and call-backs were then held in February and rehearsals kicked off in March.
Set in the 16th century, the musical centres on the Inguanez family and their three children Luċia, Maria and Tinu. Luċia (played by Kay Dimech) is the eldest and betrothed to a young noble, Mikiel (Yandrick Agius), despite being secretly in love with Ġamri (Kyle Fearne), the baker’s son. Disaster strikes when the two younger children go missing, pulled down a well by the Belliegħa (Chrissy Warrington).
The myth of the Belliegħa tells of a legendary well dweller and was used to scare young children into staying away from wells. They were warned that the creature would swallow them up if they lingered around too long, thus the name from the Maltese tibla, to swallow.
Maria (Lisa Mangion) and Tinu (Clement Gauci Peresso) find themselves lost in the shadowy corridors of the underworld among forgotten mythical Maltese creatures, such as Sarangu (Karl Bartolo – the sackman), Babaw (Yentel Troisi De Menville – the bogeyman), Saħħara (Harley Mallia – the witch), and many others.
“The children must be rescued, but the delicate balance between the two worlds is upset and a few dark secrets are uncovered in the process,” Camilleri reveals.
As with all musicals, this production features a large cast, with 60 members ranging from seven to 55 years of age. Casting was as inclusive as possible and the cast participated in workshops and continuous rehearsals to help them develop their parts.
“Now that production week is upon us, we have shifted into overdrive, with frequent runs of the entire show with a full cast and numerous focused rehearsals for polishing and perfecting particular scenes or musical numbers,” Agius says.
Typical of a musical, Belliegħa will also have some extravagant costumes. While those worn by the human characters have been designed to reflect the different social classes of the era, the creatures of the underworld allowed for costume designer Stefania Grech’s imagination to run free, something that was necessary because she had minimal reference as to how they should look.
“Thanks to Stefania and Yvonne Vella, the seamstress, we went wild with the razzle-dazzle using materials like feathers, leather, and even LEDs. Pair that with the intricate make-up and body paint, and all our underworld creatures are really dressed to impress,” Agius enthuses.
In this production, the set also plays a major role.
“It’s made up of various levels in order to show the differences between the two worlds and their respective spaces. It is all brought to life with a staggering number of LED screens – over 300 panels. Digitally-painted and animated backdrops will take centre stage and really knock the socks off the audience,” Agius continues.
The songs will be performed live with a band made up of some of the island’s best musicians. Each of the chorus pieces is composed of three-, four-, or five-part harmonies that were specifically arranged for the production.
Given the mammoth task that is Belliegħa, one wonders if this will be the last endeavour for this young theatre company born from the De La Salle Drama Group in 2013.
“I think we’re on our third or fourth ‘last one’ right now, so clearly we don’t know how to stop,” Camilleri said. “I imagine this year will be no different: the night after the last show, once we’ve sung and danced and laughed and cried and sat down together over a beer, someone will look up and say – against their better judgement – what’s the plan for next year?”
• Families can enjoy the misadventures of Belliegħa on Friday and Saturday at Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta, under the patronage of the President of Malta. Tickets are available from www.ticketline.com.mt.