Established in 1910, the Malta Amateur Dramatic Club - or MADC as it is commonly known - is Malta's oldest theatre company. Over the decades, the Club has become synonymous with ambitious, high-quality productions, including its annual appointment with Shakespeare at San Anton; not to mention its history as the first Maltese company to stage Christmas pantomimes in the 1970s and which still pack houses today.
But the MADC is also the proud producer of a 'smaller' event: the popular One-Act Play Festival - the longest-running festival of its kind in Malta - and which is now in its 43rd year.
"Changes in the membership of the MADC committee in 1979 initiated a more forward-looking approach to the running of the Club and a realisation that more needed to be done to attract new faces to local theatre," explains MADC's Artistic Director and acting stalwart Marylu Coppini. "And so, what was initially known as 'New Faces,' was launched. The name was later changed to the MADC One-Act Play Festival, because this was thought to have better audience appeal."
Apart from encouraging new younger faces to act, the Festival was also seen as an opportunity for those that usually worked backstage to 'tread the boards' and, "conversely, for actors to work backstage to develop a more comprehensive stage proficiency," Coppini continues.
Over the years, the Festival gained momentum and came to be a vital cog in the wheel of discovering new talent. At the time, no privately-run drama schools existed, and the performing arts only featured on state school curriculums, with guidance ending once students left school.
Meanwhile, production of MADC performances never waned, further incentivising young people to enter the Festival to gain vital stage experience.
It's not an exaggeration to state that a good number of Malta's leading thespians - too many to list individually here - started their career on the stage in the One-Acts. And that counts for directors, too. "There were reservations about the initiative of also featuring inexperienced directors to direct the one-act plays," recalls Coppini. "However, time has proved that precious talent in this field is hard to come by and is of great importance for the future of theatre. Jumping in at the deep end has certainly turned out to have done far more good than harm to the local theatre scene of the past 40 years, and the One-Acts have produced directors including Anthony Bezzina, Chris Gatt, Malcolm Galea, Nanette Brimmer, Chiara Hyzler and Toni Attard, to name just a few."
While 2021 saw a COVID edition of just three plays, this year's Festival boasts a good number of entrants. The usual five productions have been extended to six plays, giving an even greater opportunity to new directors, new actors and also some new backstage crew members to reveal their talents.
"I believe that actively participating in the world of theatre - whether as a writer, producer, actor, technician or crew member - is one of the best experiences that a person of any age can have," muses Coppini. "It is a great way of expressing one's talent or ability, and also of meeting people while working together to produce an artistic experience for audiences to enjoy. The satisfaction of having contributed, even in a small way, to a successful production, and ultimately to Malta's thriving theatre scene, is really quite unique."
The MADC One Act Play Festival 2022 will take place at the MADC Playhouse, Sta Venera, on 8, 9 and 10 September at 7.30pm and on 11 September at 7pm. This production is supported by Arts Council Malta and is suitable for audiences aged 16 and older. Tickets and further information are available at www.madc.com.mt