Theatre
#babydaddy
Studio 18
St James Cavalier
Many are those adults (or at least those who try to live life acting their numerical age), who look back at their teenage years with nostalgia and affirm they were the best years of their lives. And this is very much the case, with sixth formers in particular, still filled with that wonderful sense of hope and enthusiasm for a future which is just on the cusp of realisation...
Until, of course, something comes along to turn your life’s plans upside down. And this is, of course, the premise of Simone Spiteri’s new play, #babydaddy, which premiered last week to eager full houses at St James Cavalier as part of ŻiguŻajg Arts Festival for Children – which is now in its second year and thriving.
Matt Bugeja (James Azzopardi Meli) is a popular A student with a great love of photography which he inherited from his grandfather, and ambitions to develop his hobby into a sustainable sideline. His main aim is to get through his second year of sixth form enjoying himself as much as possible, obtain good passing grades in his A Levels and spend time with his close friends: the relaxed John (Daniel Bonello), geeky Pete (Nicky Gambin), level-headed Petra (Katya Azzopardi) and party animal Ben (Andrew Scicluna).
Unfortunately, his idea of having a good time with Amy (Rebecca Attard) leads to a rather long-term accident which throws both their lives and, as a consequence, their friends’ and families’ into tilt. Amy’s pregnancy, and the initial reactions she and Matt have towards it, are perfectly understandable and portrayed in a solid, credible way. The fact that the story is told from the male perspective is refreshing in itself, without detracting from the ordeal that such a life-changing event has on the young mother.
Azzopardi Meli’s strong portrayal of Matt was a great exercise in characterisation, as was Attard’s Amy, the main reason being that these two up-and-coming young actors had a role to play which was different to their own. This challenge was what pushed them to look ex-centrically and focus their interpretation based on their empathy of experiences they could model on.
Director Jean-Marc Cafà marshalled a formidable cast into a strong, cohesive piece
The same can be said for Nikki Demajo Albanese’s Lara – a rather sullen introvert who keeps herself to herself and doesn’t seem to have many friends until she overhears Matt and Amy’s heated argument about the baby.
From that point forward, Matt finds a reluctant confidante who needs a shoulder to cry on herself, in spite of the fact that she’d rather die than admit it.
Demajo Albanese gave a stand-out, nuanced and sensitive performance as Lara, who feels she has to teach the privileged Matt how to grow up and man up, while grappling with her own demons. Having to deal with school rumours about her sexuality and her difficult home life, Lara, who also shares Matt’s love for photography, uses an artistic concept to teach him about life – that sometimes what appears to be a mistake can turn out to be the most perfect result we could get.
As the nine months of pregnancy seem to crawl by, Matt learns about himself and how his poor decisions affected his relationships beyond the one he had with Amy. One of the most effective and poignant scenes he shares is the confrontation with his mother Terese (Coryse Borg) which saw the full force of a mother’s wrath and disappointment along with her husband George’s (Pierre Stafrace) more understanding and balanced attitude.
Both Borg, as a strict but loving mother who wants the best for her son, and Mr Stafrace, as an earnest father who tries to understand his son by being chummy, did a great job in their supporting roles – highlighting what a seasoned actor can do at the top of their craft and infusing both humanity and humour into their interpretation.
This was one particular element that was strong throughout the performance. The script was easy and fluid, reflecting daily language in a bilingual country without overdoing it. The use of Andrea Attard’s original music, Chris Gatt’s lighting design and Romulado Moretti’s simple-yet-effective set worked extremely well in a contemporary setting which focused highly on the use of smartphone technology by teenagers.
From gossip to bullying and the division between friends, all themes and scenarios were played out in very human scenes, in spite of the fact that some of the young actors had the added bonus of playing themselves; with Pete painting the picture clearly for Matt when the latter’s stress at having to deal with a job and A levels gets out of hand.
Gambin’s heartfelt interpretation of Pete’s annoyance turns to anger as he explains how he and Petra feel torn between two friends – how Matt has pushed them away because their concern for Amy is equal to their concern for him.
Hormonally driven, tensions run high with Giulia Palmieri’s rather nasally American and vindictive Fran and her sidekick – the neurotic Nadine (Ella Coppini).
John’s offence at Matt for having ignored and disapproved of his relationship with Carly (Hannah Grech Pirotta) and Ben’s excessive partying and reckless driving added another dimension to the turmoil of Matt and Amy’s shared dilemma.
With a large supporting cast, including Anna Calleja, Megan Bonello, Martina Cuschieri, Andrew Micallef, Emma Borg and Victoria Gatt, the stage at St James was properly full and used to its entire flexibility.
Director Jean-Marc Cafà marshalled a formidable cast into a strong, cohesive piece which served as an eye-opener to its younger audiences while never losing touch with its mission to entertain and is a must-see in repeat performances. #successful #missionaccomplished.