1881 Teatru Malta Show Review

1881, the show by Teatru Malta. Photos: Lindsey Bahia

The 1881 Teatru Malta show, is not your regular theatre outing, so I won’t be following my usual theatre review format, as this would reveal too many details. A huge part of the joy of this immersive theatre experience lies in the unexpected, the little surprises you uncover along the way.

Instead, I will walk you through my journey, hopefully offering you enough information to inform your expectations. And, most importantly, helping you decide whether the 1881 Show is worth the hefty €50 price tag.

If you’re familiar with the British, award-winning Punchdrunk concept you’ll find the1881 Show extremely intuitive. Back in 2000, Punchdrunk pretty much set the bar for immersive, site-specific theatre that offers audiences the chance to experience a deeply interactive ‘play’. This is exactly what the 1881 Show brings to the table and, as far as I’m aware, it’s the first time that a local theatre company is experimenting with this type of non-linear narrative.

Think of it as being part of a movie set with many moving parts. Instead of sitting down and passively taking in scenes, you walk from one mini-set to another, deciding which actors and scenes you want to interact with. You may be given quests – or not, it’s your choice.

1881 Teatru Malta – Main Details

Show	1881, by Teatru Malta
Venue	Villa Bologna, Attard
Duration	Approximately 150 minutes
Ticket price	EUR 50
Booking	Official website
Language	English
Accessibility	Parts not wheelchair accessible, includes stairs

The Basic Premise of the 1881 Teatru Malta Show

The 1881 Teatru Malta show starts off at Villa Bologna in Attard. You will be asked to don masks and cloaks and to join the world of this alternative Malta, in quarantine due to the effects of a deadly plague which threatens to bring about the end of the world. But tonight there’s a grand masquerade ball taking place, and you’re invited.

Your hostess is Mistress Mari, surrounded by various members of her family. These are the very last hours before death comes for all of us, and you need to decide how you will spend them – seeking hedonism, in prayer, pursuing science, actively seeking death or trying to survive. Each faction is represented by a character, and each comes with its own quests, tasks and tricks.

Co-writers Sean Buhagiar and Rob Morgan also fulfil the roles of director and dramaturg respectively, with Gordon Calleja in charge of 1881‘s story world creation, interaction and game design.

My Experience of the Teatru Malta 1881 Show

I attended the very first showing of this production, a preview before it was shown to public audiences. For the purposes of this 1881 theatre review I did not align myself too definitively with any faction, as I wanted to infiltrate all the scenes and experience as much of the narrative as possible.

Things kicked off by signing a rather lengthy disclaimer – don’t be alarmed, as this simply relates to the trigger warnings that have become ubiquitous and also explains what you can and can’t do throughout the performance. Most of it should be a matter of common sense: no phones allowed, don’t harm the actors, don’t remove anything from the set etc etc. After that, I was handed my robe and mask and the fun began.

Throughout the two plus hours of the show I meandered at will through the house, taking in the different vignettes created by the characters in different parts of the house. Audience interaction to this level is as yet relatively unexplored in Malta, and the cast of actors each has varying degrees of skill in making this feel organic.

Mistress Mari, The Hedonist (Silvana Maimone) – Maimone’s performance embodied the idea of immersive theatre, never breaking character and genuinely making me believe that this was a very real person slowly losing her grip on reality. All her scenes were appropriately dramatic – but not melodramatic, avoiding the cringe that a less skilfull actor tasked with – for example – leading an orgy may succumb to.

Eve, The Devout (Sandie von Brockdorff) – Another solid interpretation of a character that could very easily detract from authenticity if tackled with an over the top approach. Exorcism scenes are particularly prone to turn comedic, rather than scary, but von Brockdorff handled it (and her many other scenes) with a genuinely disturbing zeal. I should add that I was not present when she actually cut her hair live, and I’m glad. When I read the news report I felt this was the theatrical equivalent of clickbait.

Will, The Deathseeker (Christian Scicluna) – This is the character I spent the most time interacting with, actually picking up one of his quests (I failed, because I was too busy also gatecrashing other vignettes). His role in the afore-mentioned exorcism scene, occuring very close to the climax of the plot, was solid. Portraying horror is very tricky, and I have rarely encountered it done well, locally. Tyrone Grima’s Għanqbut f’Moħħha and Masquerade’s Misery were two of the few local productions I found convincing.

That said, Scicluna’s audience interaction needed a lot more work. While he coped decently enough with ‘expected’ answers that fit his narrative, when I threw him a few curveballs he didn’t quite know what to do with them. I was left with the distinct feeling that this was his first time doing interaction/improv. I was there for the press night, so a few more evenings will possibly yield a smoother result.

The Survivor (Nicholas Jackman) – Here’s one who was clearly born for audience interacton, giving off unhinged energy so convincingly that at one point I was almost loathe to follow him into his darkened room. I didn’t loiter enough to pick up his quests, but my favourite part of his narrative was when one of the allies I picked up along the way found a “you failed” note while ransacking his belongings on a quest.

The Humanist (Becky Camilleri) – I did not spend enough time with her for a detailed review, so you will have to discover this one for yourselves.

The other three characters – The Butler (Philip Leone Ganado), The Maid (Michela Farrugia) and The Doorkeeper (Marija Grech) – are the glue that keeps the production together, directing the flow and leading the audience towards the final climax.

What I loved

I found the 1881 Teatru Malta show to be beautifully crafted, and hopefully the production will pave the way for this breed of theatre that is likely to be attractive even to those who aren’t habitual theatre-goers. I was particularly blown away by these elements:

• The costumes (Luke Dimech) & staging (Sven Bonnici): Honestly, I could have spent ages in each room, independently of the action, simply observing the characters and the props. The quirky detail in every costume, the faintly macabre contraptions in each room, even the smells played a significant role in suspending my disbelief. Special shoutout to Wil’s costume and entire look, which vaguely reminded me of The Umbrella Academy‘s Klaus, and which I found equally mesmerising.
• The unpredictability of the vignettes: Never once did I think – ok, so this is what’s coming next. Buhagiar’s and Morgan’s storyline retained its surprising element and I’m pretty sure that there was a lot that I missed and that a second go would reveal. If you’re easily bored sitting down and having a story fed to you, this is the type of theatre you’ll love.
• All the different moving parts: One of the perils of my job is that I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out the ‘backstage mechanics’. For the 1881 Show, this is a whole endeavour in itself. The time, resources and budget spent in translating this whole world to real life must be nerve-wrecking. Only Teatru Malta and its resources as the national theatre company could have achieved it. I can’t see a private company with a cast and crew that have day-jobs attempting this, which is why I believe it’s so important for Teatru Malta to continue creating productions that are perceived as difficult, or even not necessarily wildly popular. Ma Kuraġġ u Wliedha, an adaptation of the Bertolt Brecht classic, was one such other case in point.
• Sound (Yasmin Kuymizakis) & light design (Toni Gialanzé): Yasmin’s ethereal soundscapes add more magic to the evening. At one point I was following Eve in the garden and I just let myself be lost in the music, gazing at the stars. Complemented by Gialanzé’s light and other effects, it was instrumental in making me believe I was truly meandering in a different world.
• The space itself: Bringing together all the different sites within the house and making sure each worked well together, rather than against each other, must have been a huge endeavour within itself. Production designer Sven Bonnici had his work cut out for him ensuring that each vignette flowed from one room to another seamlessly, or contemporaneously. I look forward to seeing what other work he manages to manifest in future.

What I felt needed more work

Teatru Malta’s 1881 is a very promising first attempt at fully-immersive theatre and, although still requiring fine-tuning, it’s very likely that the cliche ‘practice makes perfect’ will hold true. Refining the following elements could help take the audience experience to the next level:

The flow of the interactions: While in no way suggesting that the audience be handheld, the flow of the quests themselves needed more structure. The triggers, in particular, were at times sacrificed in favour of the visual spectacle. This is great if you enjoy focusing on an aesthetic overdrive. But members of the audience who prioritise the actual tasks are likely to be left wanting more.

The depth of the narrative & tasks: I got to enjoy a number of intriguing vignettes, but they all left me wanting to know more. Each character deserved more depth and, despite following one of the characters pretty intensively, never once did I get any real insight into his personality.

What made him this way? What was his journey and how has it informed his character? This also applies to the tasks, and to certain visual elements of the play that seem to come out of nowhere with nothing to tie them to the narrative.

The resolution: As the narrative reached its devastating peak, I was shepherded out back to the original meeting point together with the rest of the audience. Without revealing too much of what happens, the actual conclusion comes as an anti-climax after having invested so much time and emotional energy with these characters.

I would like to see a proper debriefing added to future sessions, especially as this will be the last thing audience members remember about the show.

So, is the Teatru Malta 1881 Show worth the price tag?

It depends on your expectations and disposable income. This is a 2.15 hour plus experience, so you’re getting a big night out of the kind that you’re unlikely to experience elsewhere in Malta. It’s an evening of stress-free entertainment where you’ll enjoy beauty, drama, magic, horror, seduction, music and a story with mass appeal that would probably shoot straight up to the Top 5 if it were on Netflix.

It does require some hefty fine-tuning, and it may have been better to start off with a smaller production that could be workshopped into one that reaches the current scale.

That said, I’d go again if I get the chance, because it was highly entertaining. The 1881 Show brings together some very skilled artists from the realm of local theatre, music, story-telling and game design. Each component of the puzzle does an excellent job pulling in the audience. It is equal parts immersive and voyeuristic, and it made me feel both predator and prey; a puppeteer pulling the strings and the marionette dancing to the master’s tune. Despite the afore-mentioned shortcomings, I was captivated and could barely believe it when I realised I had spent more than two hours in the space.

I did leave the performance thinking that I would happily start it all over again. And that’s the definition of good entertainment right there.

The production runs until March 2 and tickets are available here.

Affiliate/Advertising Disclaimer: How I Carry Out Reviews

I received no payment for this review and I was offered press tickets. The opinions expressed here are purely my own and Teatru Malta had no input/control over what I wrote. There are no affiliate links contained within this page.To learn more about my policies and my reviewing process, visit my Affiliate/Advertising disclosure page.

1881 Teatru Malta FAQs