Malta culture

The Beauty Queen of Leenane: as funny as it is chilling

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I was thrilled when I read that Adrian Buckle was directing The Beauty Queen of Leenane as part of the MADC programme. I've been a Martin McDonagh fan ever since I watched The Banshees of Inisherin. Very few playwrights do love/hate relationships as ruthlessly as McDonagh, and I figured that Buckle - as I had witnessed through the Unifaun Productions glory days - was … [Read more...] about The Beauty Queen of Leenane: as funny as it is chilling

The Little Prince: wonderfully immersive

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Teatru Anon's 30th anniversary celebrations certainly called for a re-do of The Little Prince and, this time, the gorgeous adaptation of the Saint-Exupery classic received the well-deserved royal treatment at Teatru Manoel. The first production in 2021 was held at the more intimate Campus theatre as part of ŻiguŻajg festival; this time round, the company had absolutely no … [Read more...] about The Little Prince: wonderfully immersive

Daqsxejn ta’ Requiem lil Leli: an exquisite fever dream

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Daqsxejn ta’ Requiem lil Leli started life as a poem by Immanuel Mifsud and, when it was first adapted to the stage by Teatru Anon back in 2018, I had missed it. It was brought back to life this last weekend as part of the theatre company’s 30 year anniversary celebrations, together with The Little Prince. I’ll get straight to the point: it was a real treat, the likes of … [Read more...] about Daqsxejn ta’ Requiem lil Leli: an exquisite fever dream

Unifaun – Teatru Mod Ieħor Book Review

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There was a point in the 90s when I felt that the Maltese theatre scene had become somewhat stagnant. It wasn’t that there weren’t any decent productions being put up, because in truth there were plenty of those. What was lacking was a pushing of boundaries, a willingness to disrupt the status quo of guaranteed bums on seats that came with a certain style of - for want of a … [Read more...] about Unifaun – Teatru Mod Ieħor Book Review

Miscast, An Atypical Cabaret

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The Shrinking Violets tend to be associated with more ‘serious’ theatre pieces. Their production of In Other Words last year, putting the spotlight on the toll that dementia takes, didn’t leave a dry eye in the house. Their new show, Miscast, An Atypical Cabaret, takes a decidedly lighter approach. The concept is that the cast is grabbing the opportunity to take up all those … [Read more...] about Miscast, An Atypical Cabaret