Theatre
The Gżira Project
Salesian Theatre, Sliema

In its initiative to take theatre back to the people, the Malta Arts Council has hit on a great formula in the sustainable use of local venues by using village and town theatres for national productions.

By elevating the calibre of productions presented locally – rather than creating the need, sometimes seen as an obstacle, of having to travel to a central venue like the Manoel Theatre or St James Cavalier – the Arts Council has effectively begun a cultural reawakening on a more local level and this is highly commendable.

The Salesian Theatre, which has seen quite a revival in use in recent years, hosts a very different performative experience to the more conventional productions patrons are used to, with its latest fare, The Gżira Project, taking on an immersive theatrical experience for its audiences.

Audiences in the plural, since the show runs on a double loop, with two groups of viewers being taken on an exploratory journey around the premises of the theatre – from backstage and understage, to the bar, the stage itself and the auditorium.

Written and directed by Antony Gardner, with Maltese scenes written by Leanne Ellul, the two audiences can contemporaneously view the series of scenes and vignettes achronologically – experiencing the events not in sequence but as a collection of memories which stand independently of each other.

The Gżira Project had much promise and only partially delivered it because the performance was not entirely even

What I found rather detracting, however, was the fact that the unifying thematic was tenuous at best. It needed a stronger leading thread to present the pieces as a collection.

The project was presented as a vehicle to examine the hidden lives of the women supporting the Salesian Theatre before they were allowed on stage in the 1970s and takes a look at the ladies who seem to have permeated the building with their presence over the years.

Two punk girls rant on about the older men at the theatre. Two punk girls rant on about the older men at the theatre. 

The mood was set by design consultant Pamela Baldacchino and Gardner’s staging using different rooms in various stages of the theatre’s life – starting from the present day outside the theatre, which is about to be demolished to make way for a next high-rise set of luxury apartments in a very enjoyable and topical scene. This involved a discussion between a loud and uncouth contractor and his architect, who also engage with the audience as the stage hands wait outside in safety vests and hard hats. I particularly enjoyed this opening scene for its authenticity and witty vigour.

Some other scenes were confusing because the context was rather vague, like the discussion in the main hall which seemed to be a rehearsal but not quite, and the audience being led understage to listen to a recording of a play which apparently finally had women in it – the point was put across rather sketchily.

But the ghost story told downstairs in subdued lighting had the desired effect as did the kitchen scene featuring a discussion between mother and daughter regarding her duties as a mother and wife as opposed to her desire for independence and self-assertion.

Renzo Spiteri’s original sound design complemented the setting and mood, while the concept of the feminine and what it meant was also examined in several scenes. From a scene with the Three Fates discussing the unfortunate tragedy of a young woman’s life, with a conspiratorially gossipy tone, to male cross-dressing when women were not allowed on stage and a dance with homoerotic undertones, the image of the feminine at the theatre was seen through its mystical influences, its sensuality, its necessity and as well as its sensitivity in a musical scene where a young woman sings about the futility of a man’s endeavours.

The rather unpleasant contemporary side of the female was seen in the contemporary scene in a conversation between two streetwise and rather crass young girls, who are both female but not feminine in a classic manner.

The Gżira Project had much promise and only partially delivered it because the performance was not entirely even. Several performers did a great job at characterisation, thus holding up some of the weaker ones. It is an interesting foray into experimental, immersive theatre, but could do with a touch more polish. A performance with a difference.

The Gżira Project is being held at the Salesian Theatre today and tomorrow at 8pm and on Sunday at 3pm. Performances are both in English and Maltese. Tickets may be obtained at www.ticketline.com.mt.

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