If you are looking for alternative, contemporary theatre, and don’t mind going to a play which starts at 11pm, then be sure not to miss an original work entitled Fuq Tlieta. Written and performed by relative newcomer Kevin Attard, it will be on at St James as from next Friday.

Kevin’s theatrical style was inspired by the format used by Samuel Beckett, specifically the six short plays by Beckett which were produced by Michael Fenech last year.

“I acted in two of them and I enjoyed working in this very minimalist manner, using very few props. So I’ve used Beckett’s style technically.”

Kevin began acting six years ago – before that his lifestyle was as far removed from theatre as one can imagine. His ‘real’ job is working as a craftsman, with filigree, “I used to make those traditional Maltese crosses,” he says almost sheepishly.

“Then when St James Cavalier opened in 2000, it was like a turning point for me. I teach English as a foreign language and one of my Italian students took me to see an exhibit. Suddenly, I began paying attention to the Arts, attending exhibitions and plays. I starting posing for artists, began painting, and I even began making more contemporary pieces out of filigree. I attended about 8 months of the course at the Drama Unit, made a few contacts, and my work in theatre started from there, mostly doing mime and physical theatre.”

Blunt and straightforward, Kevin is almost painfully honest about himself.

“I do not call myself a writer, because to be honest I’m not very literate. It’s my first attempt at writing so I’m very happy that it’s being produced. Of course, I could not have done it without Michael Fenech who helped me tremendously. I would just scribble things down and he helped me to polish it up. In my writing I was influenced by Chris Muscat, an unpublished author, who is a good friend of mine. The play is about my experiences, affairs, the death of my father; events which are very personal to me. I think this kind of play doesn’t need much - no makeup or costumes.”

The play consists of a monologue by Kevin, followed by dialogues with two different actresses, all presented as one piece.

How much of Kevin’s own personality is in the play?

“I have a violent character, so the only way I knew how to write it was to be brutally honest; it had to be a reflection of myself. I try to contrast the emotions which are on display, so one minute I will make the audience laugh (although it’s a dark kind of humour), and then immediately afterwards I will make them cry. Of course, I’m a bit embarrassed to be so exposed on stage, but that is the challenge of doing something so personal.”

One of Kevin’s ideas was to move away from the usual 7.30pm/8pm slot and put the time of the play at 11pm; seconda serata as he puts it.

“I wanted a new kind of audience to be drawn to it…of course this is an experiment and a risky one. I don’t have a type of audience in mind, but I want it to mean something to people, perhaps to those who don’t usually attend the theatre. Meanwhile, I have been presenting the monologue in private homes as a kind of PR…to introduce people to the play. In fact, my aim is to build a repertoire of ten short monologues which can be “hired out” for a dinner party for example – this is done a lot abroad.”

When searching for his two female leads, Kevin immediately thought of Tanya Scicluna and Diana Cauchi, with whom he has worked previously.

“Tanya is this tiny person, but she has such a dynamic personality; she is such a great force and leaves a tremendous impact. It’s not her usual kind of work because she is not playing a character. I’ve asked her to interpret herself and she has done a great job.

With Diana, on the other hand, I admire her discipline. She has a controlled force. When we were creating the mime, and deciding on how to use our bodies and movement, her background was very helpful (she is about to graduate in psychology). She helped a lot to re-structure the whole thing, so the merit for it is 50 per cent hers. Also, Diana is still young, so there is a freshness in her movements and acting.”

Kevin’s last few words are for his mentor, Michael Fenech, who is the producer and director.

“He showed a lot of trust in me and for this I’m very grateful. Usually I like to change directors so that I can get in touch with different styles and techniques, and that way I am constantly learning. But in Michael’s case, I’ve worked with him five times. He comes with so much experience and ideas; he can tell you with just one word what he wants from you and you understand him. Apart from that, he allows me freedom as an actor as well.”

Fuq Tlieta will be performed on 18, 19, 25, 26 January at St James Cavalier at 11pm.