Theatre director, stage designer, playwright, cultural organiser and actor – Narcy Calamatta has seen it, done it all and excelled at it all. Maria Stivala has a chat with the man behind the catchy name.
As I stepped into the world of Narcy one breezy summer morning, I was engulfed by a colourful collection of art and memorabilia which oozes an aura of creativity and a passion for art.
“Art and culture are my life,” he said, almost as if he read my mind.
I was intrigued to find out how this great passion for cinematography and the theatre had evolved: “I was practically born on stage,” Narcy smiled, recalling memories of himself at the age of six together, with two brothers, taking part in local plays. “We were very lucky: this was after the World War 2, when Many children barely had shoes on their feet.”
From a very young age, Narcy committed himself to learn everything he could about the stage, or as actors call it “the boards”. When other children were playing cowboys and Indians in the streets, he was at home playing Giuseppe Verdi operas.
When he reached his twenties, like most aspiring actors Narcy promptly jumped on a plane and headed to London in 1968, in pursuit of exploring the world of cinema. “I didn’t know what movies were, until I had gone to London!”
He confessed to me that his mission was to equip himself with the right knowledge and head back to his homeland to revolutionise the theatrical arts scene – and that he did!
He made his mark in 1972 with his popular quiz programme Tini Xortija on the sole local TV station at the time, Xandir Malta, which was then quickly followed by his next quiz show Darba kien hemm sultan.
The monumental Wenzu u Rosi came in 1977. It was the black and white sensation that captured the Maltese audience and kept it glued to its screen every Monday evening. “The streets in Malta would literally be empty the evening the show aired,” he smiled. The 70’s version of Wenzu u Rosi was a collaboration of short funny stories which the famous Maltese poet George Zammit had put into a short series. It went on for two years and was a massive hit.
So what was the secret behind the comical series’s success?
With nine years of professional movie-shooting experience, Narcy brought to the Maltese audience a new dimension to television. He introduced the single-camera shooting concept which meant that “the powerful eye of the audience could rise and have a birds-eye view”. Quite frankly, as Narcy puts it, “It’s the magic of putting the audience in a dream where everything is possible”.
Notably, the show then re-established itself more than 20 years after. Narcy reproduced the comedy in full colour. “It was fantastic. I was involved in the entire production – from the design of the set to the costumes, to making sure it all fit within the colour scheme.” It was also the first time when there was no artificial set used on film.
Another first was in 1986, where the dynamic duo Narcy Calamatta and Charles Xuereb produced Bonġu Malta, which was broadcasted live from local Maltese villages. He explained to me that the concept of the programme was to showcase what the Maltese public has to offer.
“We helped instil that sense of national pride in our viewers,” he said, smiling and visibly and understandably proud of this achievement. I could easily see that this is a concept that he is deeply passionate about: his love for his homeland and its people.
This was also manifested in his movie-producing career. Narcy was the man who introduced Malta as a movie location, working on various Oscar-winning productions. In 1979, he was also the one who gave the Maltese nation what still stands today as the largest underwater filming tank in the world. Another monumental movie location, which was then turned to a tourist attraction thanks to him, was Popeye’s Village.
Narcy believes that the secret behind “successful” art is to have a significant message embedded in it. Whether it is the opera, the theatre, a film set, or simply having a conversation with the elderly, whom he holds very close to his heart. Communication, he tells me, is all about sending a sincere message to the receiver.
Narcy’s humble nature came to the fore when his English play Strait Street started being broadcast in the most notorious and oft-visited public convenience in Valletta, as part of a local council refurbishing project. Where you offended by that? I asked.
“Are you kidding?! I am proud of it,” he laughed.
Oh the irony, I thought to myself - after decades of experience in award-winning productions Narcy’s work is now enjoyed in a public lavatory.
“I loved the idea when they approached me to do it,” he said still laughing. This just goes to show that despite his success Narcy’s feet always remained firmly on the ground. “It is about enjoying the simplicity in life,” he puts it quite simply.