October sees the start of a very exciting and eclectic nine month performance season at Malta's National Theatre. Get your cultural calendars open and start makings notes!
The 2015-2016 programme opens to the sound of trumpets; an orchestral concert by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Brian Schembri with world renowned trumpeter Sergei Nakariakov on Friday 2 October. The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra then continues to pepper the calendar with six more thrilling concerts. There is an extended "Wednesdays at the Manoel" series of recitals by renowned local and foreign artists with music ranging from classical to jazz and contemporary. The Leipzig Quartet give their final two (of six) recitals of Beethoven's String Quartets and violinist Charlie Siem (Apr) returns to perform with Julian Dyson. The return of Vienna in Valletta, a concert by Brikkuni, Ionisation (part of the Modern Music Days), the annual band concert and Teatru Unplugged complete the music programme of more than 25 different events.
Artistic Director, Kenneth Zammit Tabona stated, "For the first time in ages we will be having two operas in this season; Purcell's Dido and Aeneas is a match funding project between the Theatre and Valletta 2018 which entails the cooperation of two entities, TMYO (Teatru Manoel Youth Opera) and VIBE (Valletta International Baroque Festival Ensemble). Our annual opera production in March is another very popular and well-loved baroque opera, Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice. While these could mark a radical departure from the usual fare they are in spirit and in physical dimension far more commensurate to the theatre's ambience and above all its footprint."
One of the major events is undoubtedly the Valletta International Baroque Festival in January which includes 21 different concerts and recitals in 9 different Valletta venues from 16th to 30th January.
There are 10 drama productions which include two new Maltese plays: Ħabbilni Ħa Nirbaħ (Feb) and Marti Martek, Martek Marti (May) presented by Staġun Teatru Malti, the world premiere of Edward Bond's new play "The Price of One" (April) commissioned by Teatru Manoel and co-produced with Unifaun Theatre Productions as well the revival of Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" (Feb) produced by MADC. Other dramatic works include "It's All About My Tea" which is devised and performed by Lou Ghirlando, Masquerade Theatre Productions' "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (Oct), "Ir-Raġel Tagħna, Miżżeweġ Magħna" (Nov) which a Maltese translation of Ray Cooney's farce Caught in the Net and "FourPlayFour" by DnA Productions will bring great satirical comedy in November. Teatru Manoel Youth Theatre will end the season with their new production "Rubbish". Not listed with the above is, of course, the ever popular annual pantomime "Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood" by FM Theatre Productions at Christmas.
The Manoel will be presenting two very exciting dance shows this season. "Chancel & Spirall" (Jan) are two contemporary ballets performed in the same evening by Ballet de l'Opéra-Théâtre de Metz Métropole. "Spirall" is composed by Max Richter and "Chancel" by Maltese composer Ruben Zahra. ŻfinMalta, in April, will perform HOME, a reworking of Mavin Khoo's 2014 production Bla Konfini/Borderless (originally commissioned by the FCN) with music and sound design by Renzo Spiteri.
Teatru Manoel's Toi Toi Education Programme, devised and run by Arts Education Consultant, Rosetta Debattista, continues to develop substantially. The ever popular concerts for children 022 and 325 are back with more performances of the latter. PikuZi also return with a series of five fun and educational new plays in Maltese for children aged 6+. There are six new Toi Toi Moves productions of contemporary dance for children of various ages created and presented by various choreographers including Moveo Dance Company and ŻfinMalta. One-off Toi Toi events for all the family are the Easter Sunday Big Band Concert and Decomposed (Apr) which is a brilliantly moving play told in a very silly way through classical music. Also part of this programme are Teatru Manoel Youth Theatre (TMYT), Teatru Manoel Youth Opera (TMYO) and the newly formed Teatru Manoel Youth Performers (TMYP) who appear throughout the season in their own productions at the Manoel and as part of other events such as Notte Bianca and Żiguzajg Festival.
Ray Attard, the Theatre's CEO, summed up by stating, "Keeping this historic building functional and, above all, relevant is not an easy task with the limitations of a Theatre the footprint of which dates back to 1731. Balancing the needs and wants of a contemporary audience within an 18th century framework is a daunting task, but, I believe, we have once again produced a stimulating and varied programme, which includes something for everyone and, literally, for all ages. We have also made every effort to keep it affordable by not raising seat prices and offering discount schemes. As a nation we should be proud to have such a world-class theatre with world-class artists as well as a performance calendar which is the busiest of any arts establishment in Europe."