The production has naturally been getting some attention, being the first MADC Shakespeare production staged at the Opera House ruins as opposed to San Anton Gardens. How do you think this affects the show as a whole and what kind of atmosphere do you think it generates?
It’s only natural that the move to the Opera House Ruins is getting so much attention, considering that “Shakespeare at San Anton” has been a mainstay for decades. People have associated MADC’s Shakespeare with San Anton for a long time and as with any sort of change some will find it hard to swallow and may unfortunately decide to keep away. On the other hand, I’m sure that others (maybe those who haven’t visited San Anton in a while) may be curious to check it out. At this stage, in all honesty, I’m not sure how the show will be affected… San Anton was ultimately an important character in each and every one of the previous Shakespeares, in the same way, the Opera House ruins play a part, actually an essential part, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Speaking as a performer who’s worked at San Anton before, the change of venue has been an exciting, sometimes scary challenge. The space is huge and admittedly has taken quite a bit of getting used to… Yet there’s something intrinsically magical and romantic about performing in Valletta.
You have been a member of MADC since the late 80s, and have also been in the management committee. How would you say that the Shakespeare shows have progressed throughout the years and do you think that they have built up a tradition? Also, do you think they create a monopoly, and what aspect do you think needs improvement or change?
MADC’s productions of Shakespeare’s plays have been a staple of Malta’s theatrical calendar since the first one in 1938. Looking back all those years ago, when I first joined the club, we tended to be a little traditional in our productions – large sets, detailed period costumes and so on, while recently, the productions have been a little bit more modern and experimental. Has the MADC created a monopoly? Granted, the club has been producing a Shakespeare on and off for the past 70-odd years, but there’s nothing stopping other production houses from doing the same. Talenti Theatre Company, I believe, has produced Shakespeare in Maltese in the past; and not too long ago, Theatreworx produced King Lear at the MITP. Any theatrical production is an on-going process and there have been mistakes in the past and will continue to be made. There’s always room for improvement and change and I think the decision to use the Royal Opera House is a sign of that commitment to try and improve the product and ultimately change it for the better.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is considered to be one of the most light-hearted and popular of the Bard’s works. Do you think this makes it a sure-fire crowd pleaser? Do you think it is a ‘safe’ play to stage, financially speaking?
Well, Chris [Gatt, director] mentioned that he purposely chose A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the ruins because it’s considered to be one of Shakespeare’s most accessible and popular plays and would hopefully entice the audience to check out the new venue. It’s also a great play to introduce Shakespeare to younger people, or to people who have never experienced Shakespeare in performance before. The Dream lends itself to a variety of different interpretations, and the environmental and ecological angle we are giving it is very topical.
Of course the more popular and well-known Shakespeare’s works attract the larger crowds, which would naturally result in a more financially viable production. A glance at the list of plays produced in the past by the Club shows that it’s always the famous ones that get staged. It’ll be interesting to see how a production of Titus Andronicus or Timon of Athens will go down…
How do you think the Maltese respond to Shakespeare, generally speaking?
I’ll start off by saying I don’t believe there is such a thing as a ‘typical’ Maltese theatre audience. You have people who will go and see nearly all productions that are taking place; those who will only go, say, to the Manoel; those who will only see productions they know and so on. The same applies for Shakespeare. You have those theatregoers who just love The Bard and will come and watch regardless of which play is produced, others who will only watch the comedies, some who won’t touch a modern interpretation with a barge pole, those who wouldn’t come and watch Timon of Athens because they never heard of it! I would hazard a guess and say that yes, the comedies are more popular with local audiences; yet recent productions of Hamlet and Macbeth were also very successful. Audiences for Shakespeare have always been consistent whatever the production, so I think that as long as we can guarantee a good product, they will come.
The performance will be running from tonight until July 29. Tickets can be purchased online at www.maltaticket.com and from Exotique (all outlets), Agenda Bookshops, Bookends and News Kiosk, Sliema. Ticket prices are Lm5, with Lm2 concessions for groundlings (standing). All performances start at 9pm.