‘Coffee with Venus’ was the title of a concert within the Festival held at the beautiful painted salon of the Archaeology Museum Valletta. This concert was specifically chosen by the Friends of the Manoel Theatre as it was performed by the festival’s Baroque Ensemble (VIBE) which is a recently formed group of local and foreign musicians playing in the baroque mode and sponsored by the Government of Malta. The aim is to develop the ensemble into a wholly Maltese baroque ensemble made up of accomplished locally-based musicians performing a plethora of music by Maltese and other baroque composers much of which has not been played for centuries.

The Friends of the Manoel is a membership organisation which through its events helps promote the Theatre and donate to various projects. One such recent project was the donation of all the new black stage curtains and wings.

Godfrey Muscat, President of the Friends of the Manoel Theatre, presented a cheque to the theatre’s Chairman, Dr. Michael Grech, as part of their sponsorship of that particular concert. Mr Muscat reinforced the Friends’ commitment to assisting the Manoel not only with its infrastructural needs but also with its artistic objectives. Kenneth Zammit Tabona, Artistic Director of the Baroque Festival, thanked the Mr Muscat and the Friends for their generous support adding that this sponsorship of one of VIBE’s two performances in this year’s Festival was an investment in the  true and lasting legacy of the Baroque Festival to the cultural life of Malta.

Teatru Manoel’s Chairman, Michael Grech, also expressed his gratitude for the support that  the Friends’ Association has given the theatre over the years . Dr Grech emphasised, that the Friends form an integral cog in the “Manoel machine” which translates into a major force in the development of the local cultural scene.

The Friends of the Manoel is constantly seeking to increase its membership in order to raise awareness of the vital role our lovely 1731 theatre plays in their lives and to support all its varied activities and events. Members can, for a yearly fee, benefit from discounted tickets for Teatru Manoel productions. Anyone interested in joining should email [email protected].