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Coryse Borg has become one of the mainstays of the Maltese theatre scene. Coryse has a thing for musicals and has participated in several over the past few years combining both her acting and singing skills. She has a main role in Masquerade’s ‘Five Kinds of Silence’ - not a musical - which started this weekend and you can catch her tonight at St James Cavalier. The play continues on May 21 to 23 and 28 to 30.
What first what inspired you to act, any family inspiration?
I must say that the arts have always been in my blood... my dad and uncle started singing and acting at a very early age and dad was in the well-known Maltese band ‘The Boys’ in the 60’s - they still play occasionally, and they ROCK! - my mum has a lovely singing voice and used to sing when she lived in the UK and my brother founded a couple of bands in the 90’s and now produces his own music. Both my father and brother play the guitar and drums. I, alas, cannot play any instrument, although I have a very good ear for music.
Apparently I used to go around singing ‘Kisses for Me’ when aged about three! When I was 14, I joined the Manoel Theatre Academy of Dramatic Arts (MTADA) and have never looked back! I have been lucky enough to have some fantastic roles throughout the years, such as Maria in ‘West Side Story,’ Annie in Tom Stoppard’s ‘The Real Thing,’ Belinda in ‘Noises Off,’ Hermia in ‘A Midsummer's Night Dream,’ Sharon in the musical ‘A Slice of Saturday Night’ and now Susan in ‘Five Kinds of Silence.’ Getting the chance to do the 'Vagina Monologues' was also a great experience!
Do you get the chance to see theatre abroad? If so what do you look for?
One of my earliest childhood memories was watching ‘The King and I’ in London, and I must say I do have a preference for musical theatre when I am abroad. Earlier this year I fulfilled my dream of watching ‘The Lion King’- I am such a softy... I cried through most of it, just overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of it all!- and ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ with Anthony Stewart Head who stars in my favourite TV show ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’ So there I was in the very front row, looking up at one of my favourite stars – pure heaven!
Are there actors (Maltese or worldwide) you admire?
Hmmmm...tricky question! In Malta, I wouldn’t like to leave anyone out by mistake so I’ll just say that I have have worked with some great actors, including the entire casts of ‘Noises Off’ and ‘A Slice of Saturday Night’ who were just one big group of pure talent and fun! As for foreign actors, I don’t really have a preference. I like Nicole Kidman. Or more precisely, I'd like to BE Nicole Kidman...
What would you like to see done to achieve a higher quality theatre and attract more people to the shows in Malta?
I think theatre in Malta is going from strength to strength, in that there are so many talented actors, directors and so on. However, I do know some aspiring actors who are put off because of the fact that the acting profession is so badly paid here, and sometimes actors are not paid at all!
Don’t get me wrong, we do it for love and definitely not for the money! But I do think it is rather ironic that the people who are, after all, the main draw to persuade people to come to the theatre, are also the ones who are the worst-paid in the business. Regarding audience, I always seem to see the same group of people attending theatre performances. Something needs to be done to attract more people, especially younger people who seem to prefer the cinema. Hey kids - sometimes ‘live’ can be even better!
Of all the roles you have played so far which is your most memorable and why?
Definitely Maria in ‘West Side Story.’ What an absolutely beautiful part to play! I loved every minute of it - the singing, the acting, the fact that the Puerto Rican accent came naturally to me... The cast was simply fantastic and the fact that I met my future husband at rehearsals was an added bonus! Sharon in ‘A Slice of Saturday Night’ and Annie in ‘The Real Thing’ are close second and third, the former because I got to sing some fabulous 60’s-styled songs, and the latter because Annie was a complex and wonderful character to play.
Most people would not want to be on a stage in front of a audience because of stage fright, what is acting adding to your life?
Simply put, I couldn’t live without it. I love being on stage - it makes me feel more alive. Where else could I live the life of another character, even for a few hours? In my acting career, I have played everything from a
star-crossed lover to an abused daughter, from a pretty princess to an evil Tazmanian devil - it is the biggest buzz!
Your current play is ‘Five Kinds of Silence,’ can you tell me something about your role?
I play Susan, the older of two sisters that are physically and emotionally abused by their father throughout their lives. During the play, the characters speak of their life-long ordeal to the audience through a series of lawyers and psychologists. Susan is by far the stronger sister of the two. But strong or weak, both sisters and their mother are trapped in a life which they cannot escape...and they don't say anything to other people ‘because it’s private.’
Should theatre have a political aim? Alternatively should the aim be to present something artistic or to entertain?
From my experience, most people go to the theatre to be entertained. That is not to say that entertainment should be the sole aim. Otherwise, only comedies would be performed! Very often, theatre is also there to make one think. ‘Five Kinds of Silence’ is a perfect example of this.
Any future projects?
To continue acting and singing my heart out till I'm at least 100 years old!
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