Improv remains relatively uncommon on the Maltese arts front, but Malcolm Galea hopes to change all that with a series of events. Anna Marie Galea checks out what he has in mind.
A man of many hats, Malcolm Galea’s rendition of Dame Nanny O’Beezwax was one of the funniest ever seen on our shores. Doing everything from theatre, to film, to television to copywriting, he has recently taken part in an improvised theatre project abroad, the fruits of which we will be able to enjoy in Malta in a few weeks.
I met up with the man himself to talk about his amazing improvisation experience at the German Our Lives Project and what he sees in the crystal ball of Malta’s improvisation future. So, what got Malcom into improvisation to begin with? “I think I’m one of the only Maltese people to have done some improvisation comedy and that’s because I’ve always had my fingers in many of the proverbial pies. Although this mode of comedy has been somewhat overlooked in Malta, it’s a really funny medium. Thanks to the fact that improvisation has no defined script or plotline, not only is it great for audiences, but it’s really good for new actors who haven’t been discovered. It’s a way from them to show off their talents in an unconstrained and flexible way.”
After being chosen to participate in the Our Lives Project, Malcolm wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but was nothing short of enthralled by the people he met and the experiences they shared.
“There are improvisation festivals held all over the world. This particular one brought together improvisation actors from all 28 EU countries. The questions which we focused on during our time together were related to nationality, identity and how we see that in relation to ourselves as well as each other.
“The wonderful thing about this project is that it has three phases. The first phase can be described as ‘before creation’; the second phase ‘during creation’; and the last, ‘after creation’.”
In the first phase, actors were put in four groups of seven, each working with a director, he says.
Although this mode of comedy has been somewhat overlooked in Malta, it’s a really funny medium
“We were in Lyon, France, and it was a completely new experience for me. The second phase was the festival itself; the improvisation community is very much alive and kicking and its members are constantly going around the world and meeting each other. I am always struck by how similar our educational backgrounds are.”
During the second phase, the actors had an improvisation song contest based on the Eurovision Song Contest, which Malcolm describes as being “heaps of fun”, adding that it was really nice being around a responsive audience.
While the first two phases of the Our Lives Project happened overseas, the last part will be taking place in Malta.
“The 28 of us were divided into 14 groups of two and I was paired with a lovely Czech guy called Pavel Wieser from Prague. He’s going to be coming over in August with fellow Czech improvisation artist Kate Nováková and apart from the fact that we are going to be performing together, we are also going to be holding training workshops for people who want to learn more about improvisation themselves,” Malcolm says.
“I’m really hoping that it will take off and that maybe eventually we can even have our own Maltese improvisation festival. I think if I had to make an analogy about the differences between a normal, scripted play and improvisation theatre, I would compare doing a play to skydiving with a parachute and improvisation as jumping out of a plane without the aforementioned parachute, and trying to aim to hit the trees instead of the ground,” the actor continues with a smile.
What are people set to expect from the improvisation shows and workshops taking place at the beginning of August?
“We are probably going to be having a great deal of fun whilst learning. Improvisation theatre really pushes you out of your comfort zone and that is nothing short of exhilarating – especially if you have a couple of drinks in you to smoothen the process – all within responsible limits, needless to add. No one improvisation performance can be like the other, because there is no fixed script. This means you can book to see two shows and neither will be alike,” Malcolm assured me.
Two workshops will be held on August 3 and 4 respectively.
“At the end of the two days, the plan is for all 40 of us to go on a chartered boat to Comino and enjoy a drink and do some improvisation aboard. It’s a really unique opportunity and I’m looking forward to seeing everything come together.”
Attendance to the workshops is on a first-come first-served basis and places are strictly limited. For more information and bookings, send an e-mail to info@moreorlesstheatre.com.