I went to St Edward's College till Fifth Form. Following two years at the New Lyceum I went to the University Of Malta from where I graduated as a Legal Procurator in 1992. I started acting at Sixth Form, but it was nothing serious.

I joined a theatre group called MASK strait after university and then joined the MADC. I’ve also worked also with Masquerade in many productions. I met my wife Jacky on stage while taking part in a pantomime and we have been married for 10 years, with two amazing children Nina and Adam. I have been in quite a lot of theatre productions but I have also made several TV appearances in shows like Villa Sunset, Viva l-Ministru, L-Erbgha L'Huma, Sal-Quccata and others. One of my most memorable parts would have to be The Baker in Sondheim's musical Into the Woods by Drama Troupe in 2005.

I have taken part in panto as the Dame twice so far. My first Dame was Dame Lola in Sleeping Beauty. She was a mad Dame and very down to earth, so to speak. She loved the lower classes if you catch my drift. She was your typical hamalla, but very lovable.

My second Dame was Dame Fanny in Peter Panto. This Dame was the complete contrary. She was a snob and upper class lover... with occasional mishaps. She was a lovely character who was always there to help. I was very keen to try Dame again especially since the director this year was going to be Steve Casaletto who directed my first Dame. Feedback so far has been very positive and I'm ready for the challenge this Dame is going to bring on stage.  

My Dame this year will be Dame Penza Stanky: daughter of a lingerie model in Paris. She is a classy person in her own way. She will only shop from the most exclusive shops and dine only in the most expensive restaurants, even though she has no money. For her, keeping up appearances is sacred. She dislikes low class people and will never be seen at the monti. But her heart is as big as her costumes. She adores her daughter and will do anything for her. Her love for her man makes her do strange things and there is always place for yummy sweets to keep her blood pressure up.

I took up acting by chance really. I was working backstage in a Sixth Form play and one of the actors backed out so I took his role. There was no turning back after that. I stopped during my university studies, but started once again when my course was over.

When I'm on stage I am someone else and can be whoever I want. I’m not running away from anything though, because I love my life and all that it has brought with it. It's just that on stage I have my ‘Me’ time, if one can understand this notion. A place where worldly responsibilities don’t exist.

There have been many amusing and memorable moments in my stage career so far. I remember coming out on stage in the wrong scene. Skipping pages of script and confusing everyone and having to find a way to go back and still make sense. Having to kill someone on stage with no prop in hand and having to fake a gun with my fingers... But what I will never erase from my mind is the euphoria of peoples' shouts and claps when the Dame comes out on stage in her last costume. It is something you really can’t explain but you have to go through. Amazing. 

I must say, I manage to mix my theatre and work life really well. I take my job very seriously, but I am a very jolly person. My colleagues will confirm that I sometimes burst into song for no apparent reason. My voice is heard all over the Law Courts and you'll always know I’m there. But that's who I am and everyone is fine with it. I don’t really do as much theatre as I used to or would like to nowadays. Family and work take the largest part of my day, but I try and do one or two productions a year.

I am involved in another project which started almost three years ago. It’s called Dr Klown. We’re an NGO and we train people to become clowns to attend children’s' hospital wards and put a smile on their faces. Some children are going through really hard times at Mater Dei and every little helps. We bring joy to them through games, songs, reading, colouring, balloon sculpting, face painting and much more.

This is done all round the world, and it started thanks to one man, Patch Adams. Laugh therapy has been proven to help such children, sometimes more than any medicine.  I am part of an amazing committee and we are working hard on this project. We have some incredible clowns who do a great job and we are recruiting more as I write this. We are also working on expanding our service to other wards, even outside Mater Dei.

RAPUNZELSTILSKIN

The MADC Panto is called RapunzelStilskin. It revolves around Rapunzel and her mother Dame Penza Stanky. She is a wannabe classy woman who won’t ever admit that she is now skint. She invents a lie about her daughter being able to turn straw into gold. This news is overheard by a witch who obviously wants Rapunzel for herself so she will be forever rich. Rapunzel can’t turn straw into gold, but Rumpilstilskin can. So she accepts to marry him in return for his help. A fairy is also called in to save the day. Meanwhile, a sweet boy falls in love with Rapunzel and is turned into a cockroach by Rumpilstilskin and the Dame has the hots for a man who always runs away from her...

Written by Steve Hili and directed by Steve Casaletto, with musical direction by Paul Abela, vocal coaching by Roger Tirazona and choreography by Kristina Schranz, RapunzelStitlskin also features some of Malta’s finest actors. 

RapunzelStilstkin is the MADC Panto, to be performed at MFCC, Ta’ Qali, from 21 December until the 5 January. Book your tickets on 7979 6232 or online at www.madc.com.mt . Sponsored by Easisave, Vsquared, Catermax  and 89.7 Bay.