The all-female theatre group Dù is celebrating their fifth birthday by putting up Truth or Dare at the MITP, St Christopher’s Street, Valletta on June 5, 6 and 7. MaltaToday interviewed the four actresses: Simone Spiteri, Franica Pulis, Kristjana Casha and Magda van Kuilenburg to learn about their sins and their experiences abroad.
Which one is your sin?
Simone: I think it’s pride... I can be too proud for my own good sometimes.
Franica: Currently it’s gluttony. Lately food is obsessing my mind.
Kristjana: I am at times (quite often) gluttonous for anything which tastes sweet…
Magda: I am tempted by all seven sins most of the times. Greed is my vice though, I must admit.
A small secret about you. S: I’m a very shy person. I am very timid with people I do not know – not many people believe it, especially if they only know me through theatre. I can be a bit of a nerd too... does that count as a secret?
F: Although I’m very assertive, I cringe when people come too close to kiss goodbye or hug. It’s something I feel comfortable to share with only the closest of people.
K: If it is a secret, I should not tell you, right?
M: I copied during my geography exams since I have always been horrible at mapping out the villages on the Maltese map.
You do theatre because… S: It’s more like theatre grabbed me by the neck and never let go... it’s something that comes natural to me, that makes me feel fulfilled and it’s something I can’t imagine not doing!
F: It’s a way to make me feel alive.
K: Because if I stop I feel incomplete.
M: I manage to find my real self whilst playing ‘others’ in ‘another’ world. Theatre gives me the necessary thrills and challenges which help me in the running of my daily life. I like the fact I am given the opportunity to play and explore after a hard day’s work, something which not all people manage to do. Theatre is freedom.
How do you feel after all these years in the group?
S: I feel proud and satisfied with what we have achieved theatrically speaking and I also feel happy and grateful with the way theatre has given me a second family unit, it has cemented friendships which go beyond our work and which I hope will last for life.
F: It’s a group of friends who have matured together as a family. It offered me a nurturing environment to develop my acting and management skills after drama school.
K: Proud about all the work we did together and glad to have gained great friendships.
M: Its feels like a family. At the moment it’s our ‘teenage’ period. We are managing our work much better, yet we are always eager for new experiences. Hopefully we’ll be able to grow old enough to ground our work into something concrete within the Maltese and international scenario but still keeping the Dù tinge alive.
Where do you wish your group to be in five years time? S: I hope we’ll still be working with the same passion, zest and energy and I also hope we’ll still be travelling widely and extensively.
F: I hope we’ll have established ourselves more on a national and international level as well as have our own studio where to create and rehearse.
K: To have developed more skills and to have our own private working space.
M: Still doing good performances, which is our main aim, travelling around performing and training. Hopefully we would have managed to mould our theatre life as our daily job.
A favourite moment abroad with Dù. S: A few minutes before we perform in a new country, when we all gather around for a quick moment and there is always this huge sense of happiness and excited nervousness as if everyone is thinking: “Look at us. We’re here! We’ve come a long way!”
F: One of the best is when accomplished theatre directors who see our plays abroad compliment us on the artistic level of our work. However, one of the most amusing experiences was at Khan el-Khalili market in Cairo, where Kristjana and Magda were getting all kind of marriage proposals with such phrases: ‘I’m ready to kill my wife for you’ or ‘Come into my shop for five minutes and you’ll be mine forever’.
K: It is always the moment before and during any performance. I love the excitement and the sense of bonding that we have.
M: All our journeys are an unknown adventure. We know the destination but how to get there is always a challenge. This reminds me of the never-ending journey of Esbjerg, Denmark. I’ve never pulled my luggage for such long distances and have never placed them in as many unusual positions to catch planes, trains, buses; neither do I remember walking as long. During this marathon, Franica’s luggage decided to say “game over”. I still remember the sparks the metal lining made on Dutch pavements as we ran to catch the buses and how this luggage toppled down a whole floor of stairs risking to kill someone on the way until it finally landed in the reception area of a motel we slept in.
The play will also feature a band of live musicians: Tim Ellis (vocals), Chris Cini (violin), Ann Bugeja (accordion) and Tancred Grech (Euphonium).
Tickets at €10 can be bought from St James Cavalier on 21223200 or bookings@sjcav.org. The play is certified as 16+. For further information visit www.dutheatre.com or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
xnWUztz5aQ8&feature=channel_page
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