What can you tell us about A Handbag – and what attracted you to take part in it?

The play is about a group of young 20 somethings trying to put on a play of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. It’s an hour long play that looks at these young people’s different personalities that at times clash and at others match. The dynamic between them all is electric, it very soon becomes evident that they’re not just normal kids trying to put up a play – their surroundings are not normal at all.
I was very keen on working with director Andy Smith. I wanted to see what I could learn from a London director like Andy and I was definitely not disappointed.

How do you describe your role?

My character is called Rose. She's trying to play the role of Lady Bracknell. Rose is a very naive, slightly thick girl with her head in the clouds. Her actions are driven purely by innocence and honesty and she seeks a lot of comfort and approval from the character of George (played by Joseph Zammit). Unfortunately, she's the butt of a lot of jokes and bullying within the group.

What were the biggest challenges related to this role?

Getting into Rose’s brain was challenging. As I mentioned, nobody in this play is ‘normal’ and getting into the character initially is the most challenging part. Rose is full of quirky mannerisms that I’m not used to and her thought processes are incredibly scattered. Trying to find a mental pattern to make it all fit into the script was hard.

Are you a fan of Oscar Wilde and how familiar were you with the particular work that is the focus of the play?

I wish I could pretend to be smart and say that I know about more works outside of The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray … but alas. That being said, in my attempt to ready more classic plays, The Importance of Being Earnest was one of the first ones that I picked up and thought it was hilarious!

Handbag presents a play with a play scenario - have you ever been through anything in your acting life that is similar to what the protagonists are going through (maybe on a less dramatic scale)?

I can’t say that I have. Thankfully, the people who I’ve been lucky enough to work with don’t clash so much during rehearsals in the way that these characters do – even though the different kinds of personalities can be found in almost every production. But the circumstances that these protagonists find themselves in are not something I’ve been exposed to in my five years of acting.

You have just finished a stint doing adult panto and comic roles. How has the transition to dark comedy been for you?

Comedy is comedy. In my opinion, dark or light comedy all stems from the same root (so to speak); truth and honesty. I think that we laugh at something because it is truthful to that character or moment. As an actor, being as honest and faithful to the character as you can be will see the comic elements through without problems. The writing also plays an important part, of course. However, it’s the same with dark comedy. The only difference is the circumstances happen to be gloomier and more morbid. In short … the transition wasn’t hard.

And do you prefer straight comedy or dark comedy roles?

I enjoy both, but I do have a slight preference towards dark comedy. I personally enjoy feeling like I’m laughing at something that maybe I shouldn’t be laughing at. The characters are also more damaged and I like that in the characters I play. You can have more fun with them.

Why should people come watch A Handbag?

It’s such a special play and the characters are so particular. They’re all just trying to prove something to themselves and to the others in the play. There is not a dull moment; you will laugh, and possibly even cry, at times. My fellow actors bring something really beautiful to each character.

A Handbag runs on Friday and Saturday at 8pm at Bluebox, Msida. Tickets are available online.

www.bluebox.com.mt