How do you review something like Students’ Fest? Do you take it as a student production – with all the limitations that come with that – and make excuses for all the shortcomings?
Or do you take it as any other production – reviews for which never take into account things like budgets, rehearsal time or the context – and just judge it as a professional piece of performing art?
There is no doubt about it: Students’ Fest has really grown these past couple of years and, from a talent show that had an array of students showcasing their talents in a sequence, it has gone on to become a full-blown theatrical medley.
In fact, despite the limitations that come with a production organised by students who may or may not have proper, professional experience in drama or backstage, Students’ Fest has been improving in quality year after year.
As this was not my first Students’ Fest, I knew I was in for a decent show. But, this year, as soon as the curtains were drawn, I realised that I had to leave all the expectations and presuppositions at the wayside. And I’m glad I did, because Beautie & the Beast absolutely and utterly rocked it.
Where do I begin?
A live, 10-piece band was housed in a purpose-built room integrated into the set. This band would go on to play every single song sung throughout the production, which included all-time favourites from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, like Be Our Guest and Tale As Old As Time, as well as some current Top 40 anthems, including Sia’s Chandelier.
Accompanying these musicians were a host of über-talented singers, with Michaela Fenech as Belle, Thomas Camilleri as the Beast, Luke Hili as Gaston, Andrew Agius and Luke Cucciardi as Lumiere and Cogsworth respectively, Monique Dimech Genuis as Mrs Potts and Mark Joseph Rapa as the Wardrobe being the most noteworthy. Their singing flowed and stood out among the sea of voices that backed them.
Their performances, pretty good in themselves, were definitely aided by the scriptwriters who laced the story we all know and love with political remarks and allusions to current affairs, pop culture references and laugh-out-loud-funny puns.
One thing that truly impressed me, however, was how they managed to ace the key moments in the storyline
As has been the case before, Students’ Fest is edging closer to becoming a panto-like production more than anything else – and the humour they presented to the audience definitely worked.
Funny, in fact, was the word du jour – or should I say nuit? I mean, someone give the Bimbettes (known to you and me as the identical triplets who wear differently coloured dresses) their own show because they were fabulous.
Played by Martina Mifsud, Mattea Fenech and Rebecca Julia Mifsud, these three stole the spotlight every single time they appeared on stage. Their ħamallu-pepe characters were spot on, and they got funnier by the line.
On par with this quasi-legendary (yes, they should be!) trio, was their mother, played by Illenia Gatt.
Her “Allajaħfi-luuu!” comment expressed every time she mentioned one of her ex-husbands – she had had five by the beginning of the show and went on to get hitched with Maurice (Belle’s father, played by Stephen Mintoff) by the end of it – cracked up the whole room time and time again and many members of the audience were saying it along with her.
One thing that truly impressed me, however, was how they managed to ace the key moments in the storyline. Beauty and the Beast is a giant in the Disney canon, and one that almost every person in the Western world has seen or heard of.
We all know the catchy tune Belle and the villagers sing as the movie begins, the magical moment Belle and the Beast dance in the ball room, the spectacular fight between the villagers and the furniture of the palace, and the moment the Beast is transformed back into Prince Adam.
These moments are essential to any production of this much-loved tale, and getting these wrong can truly spell disaster.
The story of Beauty and the Beast follows a very specific plotline aimed at tapping into specific emotions at the right time – many, in fact, have associated the relationship between Belle and the Beast with that of captors whose actions lead their captives to experience Stockholm Syndrome.
The way the storyline moves in the film allows the audience to understand Belle’s position, and this was maximised in Beautie & the Beast too. The story flowed well and I’m still surprised that the static set allowed for it to be relevant at every part of the story – from the scenes in the village, to the castle, to the forest.
Admittedly, however, the first part of the second act was a bit slow and took away some of the excitement that had been built up during the first act. The story seemed to somehow divert to the Bimbettes and to getting audience interaction – both of which were executed well, but which put a bit of a damper on the storyline.
Over all, however, I think that, what this year’s Students’ Fest has proven, is that a group of dedicated people with a minimal budget can go further than a group of disinterested people with money to burn.
Yes, the dancing wasn’t particularly amazing and some people faltered through their routine every now and then, and, yes, some of the jokes from act one were recycled in Act Two, but it was a genuine, fun and intimate show.
The organisers and coordinators spared no department. Most costumes were created by Gozitan designer Luke Azzopardi, impromptu jokes were made up on the spot depending on who was in the audience (we had Simon Busuttil and George Pullicino on our night) and the actors appeared to be comfortable and happy on stage.
It was a triumph and one that will be hard to top next year. It felt bigger, bolder and more assertive than ever before and it worked incredibly well. And I think the standing ovation at the end of the show can vouch for that.