Theatre
Is it Me?
St James Cavalier
Seasonal performances are something I usually look forward to because I live in the hope that I’ll see a new take on standard plotlines and concepts which have become rather old and tired. This Easter, over Holy Week, TAC Theatre’s performance of Is It Me? did not disappoint. For someone who is not normally a passion play aficionado, this production impressed me because it put across the message of Christ’s sacrifice by tapping his humanity and highlighting his dilemma, focusing on his insecurities and doubts as to whether he should be the one to carry out his father’s divine intention to win man’s eternal salvation through self-sacrifice.
Having hopped into the car after Mass and driven straight to the theatre, I was not looking forward to having to hear the same story of the last few days of Christ’s life again after the elocutional snore-fest I had just endured. As it was, Is It Me? kept me fully alert and interested because it made very clever use of theatrical techniques to highlight the play’s message. Director Marc Cabourdin made full use of the space afforded by the theatre at St James and actually capitalised on the deliberate use of minimal props and set, choosing rather, to focus on quality casting, lighting effects and choral recitation in certain scenes; thus creating a much more dramatic effect, leaving the performance looking crisp and steering the audience away from the familiarity which they have with its content.
Stefan Cheriet Busuttil’s portrayal of Jesus was very well executed although I would have had his characterisation slightly less passionate and more self-possessed, but he managed to tap into the Messiah’s humanity as his greatest saving grace so well that the performance tied all the rest together nicely. With two antagonists like Caiaphas, Pilate played by Pierre Stafrace, Wesley Ellul respectively, the dynamic between Jesus and his strong stand for what he believes to be true and the forces who feel threatened by the sway he has on the populace, was firmly established. On the whole Mr Ellul was much more in control of the situation as Pilate than Mr Stafrace’s at times faltering Caiaphas, especially in his longer speeches, where being steady did not translate as well as it should have. Joseph Zammit fulfilled his role as the Roman Commander at their bidding, but it was the femme fatale of the piece who stole the Dark Side’s show.
Alexandra Camilleri Warne played Procla, Pilate’s wife, whose single line mention in the Bible was actually fleshed out and given some much needed depth in the play, with Dr Warne transforming her from a proud and scornful woman to one who feels compassion towards an innocent man. And whose troubled conscience is just as touching as that of Claudio Carta’s Judas, who was given a much more human interpretation than the usual stark one as an evil double-crosser.
Of the other characters that propelled the play forward, the most touching was Nadia Vella’s hauntingly beautiful lament as Ruth, which was accompanied by an equally spiritual chorus made up of Stephanie Pullicino, Sarah Naudi and Victor Bonanno, whose contributions gave the play its required gravitas. Steve Hili, David Chircop and Rachel Gatt all gave commendable interpretations as Peter, Simon and Mary respectively, with both Mr Hili and Mr Chircop proving that their breath in character adaptability is increasing, while newcomer Ms Gatt was more than an adequate match.
In the end, this passion play worked so well because it did away with the extras which often smother the story and delved into the psyche of the characters, analysing their motivations and tackling the story not merely from a religious perspective but from a historical one, with the socio-political implications that it carries with it. It captured fervour of faith in motion, and the surrounding stillness of spirituality in its more intimate moments, culminating in a touching and artistically excellent crucifixion scene, which stripped itself of artificiality and steeped itself in mystery and reverence.