Following a successful debut in Amsterdam, actress Ruth Borg will be performing her solo, original mime script, Ġina, in Malta. Interview by Ramona Depares.

Who is Ġina?

Ġina is a woman with a desire for something to happen. Something more than what is happening at the moment; more connection, more meaning or at least just more excitement!

Ruth Borg. Photo: Marija Grech

How was the idea for this performance born?

It actually started with an intention to work on something related to Roland Barthes’ A Lover’s Discourse. One of the chapters is called the lover who waits. This chapter speaks a lot of the longing for connection and how a lover has to kill time as they wait for the lover who might or might not come. This was a big inspiration for me. I would not say that Ġina is connected to this chapter, or to the book, but the seed was planted upon reading this book.

How was it received in Amsterdam?

Quite well! I mostly got positive feedback on my strong use of absurd imagery in the work. The piece is full of them. Props are often used illogically to highlight themes or emotions.

I also got compliments on the playfulness of the work and the fact that it is dynamic. Having said this, I also got criticism. Some changes from one scene to the next were too fast, for example; some others needed more sharpness. It is for this reason that I am reworking this solo and trying to take it to the next level.

Mime remains very much under-the-radar in Malta – what attracted you to the art?

I always loved dancing, but also acting. Mime is a great combination of both.

Do you think there is an audience for it here?

To answer this, I will stick with the old saying; “the audience does not know what it wants”. I think it just knows that it wants to be entertained, somehow, and that is why people come to the theatre, for some entertainment or distraction from the day-to-day. Therefore, if there is good quality work, the audience will come and keep coming.

How accessible is the piece? Very. I think it will balance the audience’s desire for the understandable, while giving them a bit of uncertainty at the same time. There is no clear narrative, but the audiences will easily follow what is going on with Ġina and create different narratives in their own heads.

How do you describe your style?

I don’t know –  I am still searching for that. There is a huge search of taste going on for me at the moment. This searching and investigation is not only in relation to style but also to the content. 

What do I really want to talk about? And how do I want to make it? Why is my work worth sharing with audiences? These questions really get me going. Ġina is, therefore, the first step towards some answers to these questions. Maybe one of the answers I found out so far is that I have a huge passion for the absurd.

This is because the absurd puts us in a sweet spot. The sweet spot between having recognisable patterns and strangeness.

What are your plans after you finish your studies in Amsterdam?

I would not like to come back to Malta immediately. I would love to put what I am learning at university in a working context abroad first. Amsterdam has a very reach theatre and arts scene which will fuel me. But I will keep coming back to Malta for sure. I need my fair share of sun and sea.

Ġina takes place between August 3 and 5 at the Junior College, Msida. Tickets are available online.

https://shop.trackagescheme.com/event/gina-theatre-performance-ruth-borg/