February Arts Calendar

An intimate view of the Great Siege, Carnival monsters and Chinese puppets

Compiled by Sandra Aquilina

THEATRE

Into the Woods

4 – 6 February at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta

Produced by Drama Troupe.

Collision

11, 12 February at St James Cavalier, Valletta

Produced by The Birmingham Stage Company; presented by St James Cavalier and the British Council. Collision is a play with language full of dark humour, sharply observed wit and pathos performed by Neal Foster (Tom), Joe Jacobs (D) and David McBlain (Hoodwink) and directed by John-Paul Cherrington.

Side by Side with Sondheim

18 – 20 February at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta

Produced by FM Theatre Productions

Fall of the House of Usher

18-20, 25-27 February at St James Cavalier, Valletta

Produced by MADC and directed by Frederick Testa. In Steven Berkoff’s sensuous, experimental adaptation of the Poe classic, the horror in Poe’s psychological thriller becomes physical and terrifying.

Ir-Rewwixta tal-Qassisin

25-27 February at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta

Produced by Michael Fenech. What happens when a playwright-cum-priest with a loaded political agenda but very little talent writes a script about a failed revolution, coerces his untrained students to perform it and invites his superiors for the performance? This is the setting of Alfred Buttigieg’s Ir-Rewwixta tal-Qassisin, a play which was performed with great success in 1986 and which is being revived at the Manoel Theatre.

CINEMA

Bad Education

2-17, 25-28 February at St James Cavalier, Valletta

Monsieur N

2 February at the Alliance Francaise de Malte, Floriana

Buongiorno Notte

9 February at the Italian Cultural Institute, Valletta

2003, by Marco Bellocchio; with M. Sansa, L. Lo Cascio, P.G. Bellocchio, G. Calcagno, P. Briguglia

Le Temps Retrouvé

9 February at the Alliance Francaise de Malte, Floriana

La Cité des Enfants Perdus

16 February at the Alliance Francaise de Malte, Floriana

Danish Film Week

18 –24 February at St James Cavalier, Valletta

Les Triplettes de Belleville

23 February at the Alliance Francaise de Malta, Floriana

Prendimi l’Anima

23 February at the Italian Cultural Institute, Valletta

2002, by Roberto Faenza, with C. Ferguson, I. Glen, E. Fox; English subtitles

Life and Death of Peter Sellers

25-28 February at St James Cavalier, Valletta

MUSIC

Il Carnavale

6 February at the Auberge de Provence, Valletta

Gukulari Ensemble, with the participation of Alegria Dance Company present a programme of 18th century Carnival music and dance

Recital by the celebrated pianist Ramzi Yassa

8 February at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta

Produced by MTMC. Courtesy of the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt

1565

11-13 February at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta

Organised by Masquerade, this is an original musical written by Malcolm Galea, with music composed by Mro Paul Abela. 1565 gives you an intimate view of the Great Siege of Malta through the eyes of three youngsters who got hopelessly entangled in the ferocious tumult of history. Sets are designed by Oscar-winning Peter Howitt, and the costumes are by Ernest Camilleri. Direction is in the hands of Anthony Bezzina. Cast includes John Marinelli, Marc Spiteri, Ludwig Galea, Julie Zahra, Roger Tirazona and Karen Polidano.

Malta Song for Europe Festival

18-19 February at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta

Symphonic Concert

22 February at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta

Produced by the National Orchestra. Conducted by Joseph Sammut.

Micallef & Inanga

28 February at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta

Produced by Special Interest Outlets Ltd.

DANCE

Maya on Flamenco

12 February at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta

Produced by Rosanna Maya

Fame

25-27 February at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta

Organised by ActReact and Bridget Gauci Borda

EXHIBITIONS

Paintings and drawings by British artist David Siegel

22 January – 20 February at St James Cavalier, Valletta

Spirit Land: A mixed media exhibition by Maree Azzopardi

23 January – 6 March at St James Cavalier, Valletta

Part of the Maltese-Australian Chamber of Commerce Cultural Week; supported by Emirates Air. Traditionally known for her photoworks, Spirit Land is a painting exhibition about Azzopardi’s spiritual journey through her connection to the Australian landscape. As a first generation Australian of Maltese descent, Azzopardi’s work attempts to explore the notion of one’s spirit being influenced and belonging to the land, of being inherently part of the changing landscape and being made whole by the spirit of the land.

Australian Littoral

25 January – 25 February at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta

An exhibition of jewellery by Dr Dorothy Erickson organised by Heritage Malta and the Maltese-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Culture in collaboration with the Australian Commission on the occasion of the Maltese-Australian Cultural Week 2005

Previews: Solo exhibition by James Vella Clark

28 January – 14 February at Gallery G, Lija

This exhibition consists of a selection of paintings which the artist will be exhibiting in Berlin in the coming months.

Women: Representations of the Female Form 1999-2005

6-26 February at the Millennium Chapel, Paceville

By Gozitan artist Mario Cassar. More info on www.gourgionartgallery.com

Theatre Traffic Group Exhibition

February at the Manoel Theatre Courtyard, Valletta

C.S. Lawrence Exhibition

February at the Manoel Theatre Courtyard, Valletta

OTHER EVENTS

Carnival

3 – 8 February in Valletta, Floriana and other villages. Look out especially for the grotesque or macabre carnival celebrated at Nadur, Gozo, this year’s World Carnival City

Chinese New Year Temple Fair

5 –6 February at St James Cavalier, Valletta

Entertainment of Chinese dance and music, Shadow Puppet plays, exhibition of shadow puppet characters and stories, workshop for shadow puppets, martial arts demonstration, documentary film screening, food and tea ceremony presentation etc

Keep an eye on www.scaremongering.net for announcements of upcoming events