THEATRE
The Merry Wives of Windsor
13-23 July (except 17) at San Anton Gardens
The MADC’s annual Shakespeare offering for this year is no simple adaptation of the play. Director Chris Gatt has transformed this comedy into a 1960s romp, complete with rock ’n roll music, polka-dot bikinis and biker jackets! The plot centres round the poor-as-dirt knight John Falstaff, who decides to seduce two wealthy women, best friends Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, with the intention of cheating them out of their husbands’ money. With Mikhail Basmadjian as Falstaff, Coryse Borg as Mistress Page, Charlotte Grech as Mistress Ford, Pia Zammit as Mistress Quickly, Alan Paris as Ford and Stefan Cachia Zammit as Page, as well as a number of other top local actors such as Marylu Coppini, Colin Willis, Faye Paris, Michael Zammit Maempel, Edward Caruana Galizia, Wesley Ellul, Jean-Marc Agius Cafa, Edward Degaetano and Katherine Brown. Preview night, with tickets at reduced prices, on 12 July
CINEMA
Breakfast on Pluto
2-4 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Shopgirl
2-8 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Warriors of Heaven and Earth
4 July at room 207, China Cultural Centre, 173 Melita Street, Valletta
Free admission
North Country
5-9 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Palindromes
9-12 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Gay Film Festival
10-12 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Beautiful Boxer – 10 July; Saving Face – 11 July; Regular Guys – 12 July
Silents are Golden – The Passion of Joan of Arc
10 July at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta
Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, with Maria Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, Antonin Artaud. Winner of the Venice Film Festival, Dreyer’s last film is said to be both a celebration of free will and the tragedy of a life. Musicians: Alex Vella Gregory – organ; John McDonough – oboe, cor-anglais, bassoon
Song of Tibet
11 July at room 207, China Cultural Centre, 173 Melita Street, Valletta
Free admission
Bombon El Perro
13-18 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
The Matador
13-15 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Westside Film Festival
14-15 July at Gnien il-Gardjola, Valletta (just below the Central Bank)
Presented by Kinemastik, the second edition of the Westside film festival will exhibit the work of several international film makers from all continents, as well as promote local film makers
The World’s Fastest Indian
16-22 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Silents are Golden – The General
17 July at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta
Directed by Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton. With Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Joseph Keaton. Musician: Alex Vella Gregory – piano
Gua Sha – The Treatment
18 July at room 207, China Cultural Centre, 173 Melita Street, Valletta
Free admission
March of the Penguins
19-25 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
La Nina Santa
23-29 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Silents are Golden – The Kid
24 July at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta
Directed by Charlie Chaplin, with Charlie Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Jackie Coogan. Musician: Kris Spiteri – piano. Charlie Chaplin’s first full-length film
Genghis Khan
25 July at room 207, China Cultural Centre, 173 Melita Street, Valletta
Free admission
Casanova
26-31 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Capote
30-31 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Silents are Golden – Classic Shorts
31 July at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta
Classic shorts by Laurel and Hardy and Harold Lloyd. Musician: Alex Vella Gregory – piano
MUSIC
Concert
6 July at St Paul’s pro-Anglican Cathedral, Valletta
The New Choral Singers present a concert of
light and varied items including sacred music, madrigals, choruses and negro-spirituals
Valletta Summer Festival
7-8 July at the Valletta Waterfront
An open-air festival aimed at attracting audiences of all ages, with performances by established artists brought in especially from the UK and Italy alongside top Maltese names, with styles ranging from pop to rock. Some of the acts scheduled to perform include singer Freddie Hayse, leading Madonna tribute artist Debbie Nunn, tribute bands Stoned Again and Killer Queen, along with Italian singer Jessica, formerly of the popular Italian band Gazosa, and top Maltese act, Scream Daisy. Apart from the music, the festival will also feature various animators, children’s minders, balloon modellers and face painters to keep the children occupied, while football fans will not have to miss any World Cup matches as a big screen will be set up at the venue. Organised by M&E Management Group
Joseph Calleja in concert
8 July at Fort Manoel
Renaissance Productions Ltd, in collaboration with Midi, present Joseph Calleja in concert together with the Philharmonic Orchestra. Also with Moldovian soprano Tatiana Lisnic, Russian mezzo- soprano Elena Zaremba and Italian baritone Vittorio Vitelli. The Royal Liverpool Philharm-onic Orchestra will be conducted by Vasily Petrenko. The programme, which will be vocal and instrumental, will include solos, duets and a quartet. It features music from operas by Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini, Leoncavallo, Gounod, Bizet, Delibes, Massenet, Sain-Saens, Tchaivoksky and Rossini
Hampshire Constabulary Concert
11 July in the front courtyard of the National Museum of Natural History, Mdina
A fund-raising activity by the British Military Wind Band of Hampshire, organised by Heritage Malta
Concert by Romanian singer Mihai Traistariu
14 July at Amazonia, Bugibba
Eurovision star Mihai Traistariu, who came fourth in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest with his upbeat song Tornero, will perform a number of songs during a show organised by Timeline Promotions
LesMisSaigonGuerre
15 July at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta
A spectacular full-scale production taken from Schoenberg and Boublil’s masterpieces – Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre. The 70-strong National Orchestra will be directed by Mro Joseph Grech. The orchestra will be accompanied by a 100-strong chorus including the established singers from St Monica choir and The Helping Hands Group. The cast also includes several well-known singers. Leading concert pianist Ramona Zammit Formosa will feature in Miss Saigon Rhapsody, accompanied by the National Orchestra. Special guest Claude Michel Schoenberg, the composer of the three musicals Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and Martin Guerre, will be present during the show. Organised by the Helping Hands group – a non-profit organisation of teachers, students and ex-students from M.A. Refalo post-secondary school, Victoria, on their 10th anniversary of annual musicals. The proceeds in aid of Dar tal-Providenza
Malta Jazz Festival
21-23 July at the Grand Harbour, Valletta
Performances by Noir, Thabani and The Original Blues Brothers on 21 July, Emily Bezar, Tunnels featuring Percy Jones and Bill Bruford’s Earthworks on 22 July and Renzo Spiteri and special guests, Ian Ritchie’s Soho Project and Alan Parsons Live Project, on 23 July. Organised by NnG promotions and the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts
The Golden Cross International Singing Festival
25-28 July at La Grotta Complex, Gozo
The third year of this non-profit festival, the main aim of which is to promote local talent internationally with the motto of peace and friendship through music and the arts
Akustika
28-29 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
An unplugged concert featuring Isabel Zammit, Malcolm Bonnici, Melvin Debono, Mario Farrugia, Martina Falzon and Matthew Fenech playing music from the 1960s to date, including music by, among others, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Cranberries. Organised by Zghazagh Haddiema Nsara for Suret il-Bniedem Foundation for the homeless in Malta.
VISUAL ARTS
Lady Inspirations
2 June – 16 July at Heritage Malta Head Office, Valletta
An exhibition of paintings and sculpture by Raymond Spiteri
Contemporary Art
3 June – 12 July at The Loggia, National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta
An exhibition of paintings by Alex Dalli
The Cards of Destiny: Gambling, Luck and Magic
17 June – 29 October at the Inquisitor’s Palace, Vittoriosa
An exhibition organised by the Associazione Culturale Le Tarot and Heritage Malta in collaboration with the Biblioteca Classense of Ravenna under the patronage of the Italian Ministero per I Beni Culturali e Ambientali and the Maltese Tourism and Culture Ministry
St Paul’s Grotto 1600-1624 and its transition to the Order of the Knights of St John
23 June – 23 July at the Wignacourt Museum, Rabat
An exhibition organised by the Wignacourt Museum and the Chapter of St Paul’s Collegiate Church in Rabat, in collaboration with Heritage Malta
World Heritage Sites 360
30 June – 16 July at the Salon, National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta
Launch and exhibition of the book World Heritage Sites 360 organised by Miranda Publications in collaboration with Heritage Malta with the support of HSBC
Islands Unveiled
1-31 July at Cleland & Souchet, Portomaso
A collection of urban and rural sites of our islands to which artist Victor Agius gives a personal and contemporary touch.
Zebgha
7 July – 15 August at St James Cavalier, Valletta
An exhibition of a number of abstract paintings by Patrick Mifsud, executed over the past year
Genesis
7 July – 15 August at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Exhibition of works by Keith Balzan
Summer exhibition
Starting 28 July at il-Forn in Vittoriosa
Featuring artwork by Clemens Hasengschwand-
tner and Janet Savage. Apart from various landscapes, for the first time Clemens has an adults-only section and a whole corner dedicated to his favourite animal – the cat. Janet returns to her roots and features a selection of spiritually motivated paintings including exotic faces, figures and flowers
Art exhibition
Permanent exhibition at Muska Gallery, 24 Main Street, Balzan
By Celia Borg Cardona and Kenneth Zammit Tabona
OTHER EVENTS
Victoria International Arts Festival
30 June – 1 August at St George’s Basilica Cloister, Victoria
Free entrance
Il-Linja l-Hadra
6 July at St James Cavalier, Valletta
Launch of a collection of short stories for adults by Clare Azzopardi. Organised by Merlin Library. The evening will include readings by Marcelle Teuma and Joseph Galea, and a short address by Dr Adrian Grima
Observing sessions
7, 21 July
Observing sessions organised by the Astronomical Society of Malta. On 7 July, at Dingli Cliffs (near the Maddalena Chapel) for the observation of Jupiter, the Moon and deep sky objects. On 21 July, at Wied iz-Zurrieq, in collaboration with Nature Trust (Malta)
Malta Arts Festival
From 28 July to 20 August – various sites and theatres around Valletta and the Cottonera Waterfront in Vittoriosa
This year, the Malta Arts Festival – Summer 2006, organised by The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts (MCCA), offers a package of cultural events, including light orchestral music, chamber music, dance, theatre, visual arts, multi-media performances and literary evenings, along with street entertainment in Valletta. Events for July are as follows:
28 July: Official opening of the Arts Festival at Freedom Square, Valletta, including a theatrical sketch Orange by Hats and Tales & Spooky Monkey, and Live Modelling in Clay by Marilyn Hodgson
28-30 July: In Strait Street and South Street, Strada, during which wine bars and cafes will enliven the late hours of the city. Street art and performances, busking and all that jazz come together for an entertaining weekend out on the streets. The event is coordinated by Chris and Ed
29 July (rpt 30 July): The National Orchestra, in collaboration with the MCCA, will present National Orchestra Goes Pop with Vodafone under the musical direction of Sigmund Mifsud at the Old Opera House site. There will also be a Live Modelling in Clay by Marilyn Hodgson at Freedom Square, Valletta
31 July: Maleth will present the plays of Samuel Beckett Endgame (English version) and Act without Words 1 & 2 on the occasion of the centenary of Beckett at the Old Opera House site. Directed by Narcy Calamatta and Patrick Vella
Further information may be obtained from the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts at 230 Republic Street, Valletta, Tel: 2124-5168 (opening hours from 8am to 12.30pm. www.maltaculture. com
Folkloristic evening
29 July at Santa Lucija, Gozo
Includes a typical village meal. The event will be held in the village’s alleyways and square. Lm10, including wine. Free transport from Mgarr, Gozo to Santa Lucija. More info on www.santalucija.com
This information is correct at the time of printing
[email protected]