Isabel Warrington as a bored Liverpudlian housewife in Shirley Valentine.

A bored housewife is given the opportunity to go on holiday with her friend for two weeks in Greece. She packs her bags, leaves a note for her husband, and heads for a fortnight of rest and relaxation. What she finds is romance and a new awareness of who she is and what her existence can be in the future.

This is the plot of Willy Russell’s well-loved one-woman play Shirley Valentine which is being produced by the MADC in May.

Director Michael Mangion was looking for a play to direct for MADC and at the end of one evening out with actress Isabel Warrington, he decided to go for it.

“With such a great script and a great cast [of one!], I knew half my work as a director was already done,” he says with a smile. “I’ve always been keen on this play ever since it premiered in the West End in 1988.

It’s about being stuck in a rut and reaching a point in your life when change is essential

“I was a student in London then and worked part-time as an usher at the Vaudeville Theatre and used to sit through practically every show and watch Pauline Collins give this amazing performance. Also, despite it being written 26 years ago, it is still very relevant today.”

Mangion says that the story is one that many people can relate to.

“Very simply it’s about being stuck in a rut and reaching a point in your life when change is essential,” he explains.

“This theme is portrayed through the experience of one bored Liverpudlian housewife who is given the opportunity to go away on a holiday which changes her life.”

Shirley Valentine recounts several stories about her past and present. It is a very funny play with very poignant moments and a general positive feel about it.”

Since this is a one-woman show, the work of the main (and only) actress is to keep the audience engaged throughout the play and keep the story alive and real throughout.

Warrington says that, thankfully, the beautifully-written script helps the actress portraying Shirley achieve this. “The beauty of this play is the fact that I have more leeway to play around with the script than I would if there were other cast members,” he says.

“Michael and I try out different ways of interpreting scenes which makes the rehearsal process enjoyable and interesting.

“Learning the lines has been quite challenging, especially given the short rehearsal time. It is a little scary knowing that I have only myself to rely on once the show starts, but I guess that is what makes live theatre such an adrenaline rush. Performing in this play is another milestone for me and I am loving every second of it.”

According to Warrington, Shirley Valentine is a comedy that is also very moving.

“What I love about the play is its honesty in the way the characters are portrayed. I think that both men and women can relate to her story because it is a situation that many of us have found ourselves in at some point in our lives,” she says.

“You’ll laugh a lot and cry a little, as you travel with her through past and present... and enjoy all the excitement of an unknown future.”

• Shirley Valentine is being performed at the MADC Playhouse in Santa Venera on May 1 to 4 and 9 to 11. Tickets may be purchased online from www.madc.com.mt.