Theatre personalities air their views on Renzo Piano’s designs for an open-air theatre to replace the existing Opera House ruins
Adrian Buckle, producer, Unifaun Productions I think it is high time that we had an open-air theatre in Malta. The one at Ta’ Qali is a joke, and is never used. This one could be the solution. I have seen Piano’s designs and have seen the intelligence in the planning: we will have a theatre that can be moulded to accommodate different types of performances, be they classic or modern. No theatre in Malta so far can do that successfully, with the possible exception of St James Cavalier, but that space is far too small.
I agree with the concept of an open-air theatre because it will offer theatre new possibilities in the summer months, when everything connected to theatre seems to die off. If this space is built properly, keeping performance as the priority and people who live theatre are consulted and their advice taken on, then I think that we have a very interesting project.
Some might protest that we already have open spaces used for performance. True, but that does not make them good spaces. A square with seating facilities remains a square with seating facilities. It doesn’t become a theatre. Others will protest that in the winter months this space will be of no use. Maybe. But I have been to London and attended open-air performances in the rain. The world’s most famous theatre, the Globe, is open-air to some extent. Also, I would argue that an open-air theatre does not have to be functional in the winter months.
So isn’t it better to have a proper theatre instead? Not necessarily. The fact that we still need a proper modern theatre takes nothing away from the fact that we also need an open-air space. My reasoning is that we are Mediterranean people. Mediterranean theatre is usually open-air, so let us be honest with what we need. My suggestion to the traditional theatre dilemma would be to look into the Mediterranean Conference Centre and arrange that space into a usable space. I have been to the Olivier and the Lyttleton in London. Both are similar to the MCC in structure and yet have no acoustics problems, no functionality problems whatsoever. And they seat more or less the same amount. So, why can’t we amalgamate that project to the Piano project (I am sure Piano could design a proper theatre in that space) and get a proper theatre in the bargain. Money for culture is available through the EU, so the argument that we can’t spend more money is non-existent.
Does this mean that I endorse Dr Piano’ designs completely? No. I still have questions of functionality. One important factor is that careful planning of activities in the area now becomes imperative. We can’t have, say, an Isle of MTV concert going on nearby if there is to be a performance. Other questions that come to mind: Will the locals report me to the police if a production is too noisy? Will I be able to produce an adult performance in this space, or are we only envisaging Mary Poppins-style productions? Will the noise of the different festas affect a performance? Will I be able to stage a performance if there is a parliamentary session next door? Some might find these questions trivial, but to producers like me, they are not. You will forgive us for believing ourselves to be artists and for wanting the perfect conditions for our work. If these ‘trivialities’ are not taken into consideration, the open-air theatre space will be just another failure, like the one at Ta’ Qali; a space that no self-respecting artist can use.
Jo Caruana, actress Personally I’m just thrilled that something is finally being done. For so long we’ve wandered past the Old Opera House, pondering what could have been, and it has been terribly frustrating. The Manoel has its pluses, as does MITP and St James, but theatre in Malta has come such a long way of late and we need a space of the old Opera House’s size and calibre to push us further.
Part of me would have liked to see it restored to its former glory, complete with tiers, boxes and plushness, but we’d never have all agreed on that. so this glass house is a good compromise.
But I’m not a fan of the open-air bit: with our variable weather being what it now is (no such thing as a ‘guaranteed’ season anymore) we’d be limiting ourselves and risking show cancellations at the last minute due to a drizzle. Besides, part of the fun of outdoor shows is often their flexibility, as you craft a script round whatever space is available. Locations like Argotti Gardens, Hastings Garden and the Opera House in its current form have all been used to that effect, so we certainly aren’t limited in that regard. In short we need a roof – glass or otherwise – and I’m really hoping Piano will look to the variability of our skies and build us one.
Alan Montanaro, actor and director, TNT Productions My take on Piano’s theatre design? Anything is better than what we have now. And a new theatre is needed. The Manoel Theatre has its limitations; the MCC is not a theatre at all – it’s a conference room, and it’s high time we come round to accepting this fact. We need a new theatrical space: so much so, that big productions like the MADC panto or the Song for Europe festival have had to be moved to what is effectively a tent. Don’t get me a wrong, it’s a great space for performances. But it’s a tent, not a theatre.
From this perspective, Piano’s ideas for the Opera House site are very welcome. As far as I know, nobody to date has thought of turning the existing ruins into a monument, like Piano has done. However, I do believe the idea to keep it open-air is a flaw which we will most likely have to pay for eventually. So far the objections have concerned rain, but there is more to it than that. Like noise, for example. The theatre will be used in summer, when there are festas, fireworks, and other activities in Valletta. How will this affect performances? And the noise factors works both ways: a noisy performance might disturb residents, or get in the way of other events.
Having said that, the Piano design itself is beautiful, and I think adding a roof would detract nothing from the impact. If anything it will only make everybody that much happier. Personally I have never agreed with the idea of rebuilding the Opera House to the Barry design. It would be completely artificial: a bit like buying a Regency-style bureau from Ikea...
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