Despite the fact that a whole host of my friends are into musical theatre and singing, I’ve never really been one of those happy-clappy, singy-songy kind of people. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not the theatricality itself I object to (and with a thesis in world literature to my name and most of the company I keep, it could hardly be that aspect which gets my goat).

I adore musicals (or at least some of them). No, the thing I really don’t like is when people start to break into song and sing at me for no apparent reason. Maybe it’s the expectation which irks me – am I meant to clap when they’re done? Am I meant to sing back? Even as a child who spent a substantial amount of time on stage where I was required to sing, I could never quite understand why my fellow actors took the drama off the stage once our pieces were over.

That said, the creators of Project Cabaret were able to construct a gem of such quality, that even boring, non-singing folk like me were able to appreciate the drama, on and indeed off the performing space at Palazzo de la Salle.

Four years in the making, Project Cabaret is the brainchild of two hardened veterans of the stage – Chantelle Micallef Grimaud and Antonella Mifsoode. Wanting to present Maltese audiences with a fresh look into the cabaret concept, the duo waited until they felt it was the right time to gather an ensemble of some of Malta’s finest up-and-coming musical theatre performers and actor-musicians.

In keeping with cabaret tradition, the venue was a cosy one, with no more than a dozen tables, adding to the overall feeling of intimacy and allowing for great interaction between the cast and audience who were able to feel everything that was being conveyed by the cast.

Project Cabaret ventures outside the conventional cabaret box

Adding to the overall flavour of the show was the telling of personal stories and the relatability of these same anecdotes. Having now attended many gigs in the same vein, I am often struck by how impersonal and uninvolved people usually are with their pieces.

Of course, one cannot have a cabaret without singers and not only did this cast sing from the heart, but they sang really, really well. In addition to this, the choice of songs was really gratifying. While many singers tend to dust off the same handful of well-worn classics, Project Cabaret ventures outside the conventional cabaret box. I particularly enjoyed the Cell Block Tango taken from Chicago which was performed by the boys at the end of the evening.

Indeed, what definitely gave the show that extra kick was the gender swapping aspect of it which had the boys taking on roles traditionally meant for females, while the women took on the male roles. This was cleverly done thanks to the white shirt and black trouser uniforms set off by hats which gave the show a gender neutral ground to grow from. This aspect also lent itself for moments of light-hearted fun which saw a male member of the audience being invited to take part in West Side Story’s I Feel Pretty complete with pink accessories.

Something I particularly enjoyed was the generally light tone of the evening, but also how the troupe did not try to include too much material or different concepts, sticking instead to a clear vision for the evening. The short intervals allowed for better audience engagement particularly when presented with more dramatic songs such as Notre Dame de Paris’ Belle which was beautifully sung, followed by a lighter tune which made the overall effect far more palatable, meaningful and effective.

Although, so far, the opportunities in Malta for performers to hone their craft hasn’t been much to call home about, I really felt that Project Cabaret’s pushing of boundaries and the reworkings of the songs they mindfully chose melded well together and they truly managed to create a space of exploration and discovery which was enjoyed by the entire room.