Take 2, the team behind hit TV shows Deceduti and Min Imissu, are due to hit the stage this time with a new comedy show - Reloaded.  The Malta Independent on Sunday speaks writer Abigail Mallia to the team for more details on what will undoubtedly be another feather in take 2's cap

 

You started in television with high-end drama, but have now switched entirely to comedy. Why are you writing comedy and why did you decide to take to the stage?

We choose comedy over drama because we believe that laughter is the best medicine, and, frankly, comedy allows us a great degree of freedom to exercise our particular dose of creative madness.

We have been absent from the local scene for two years, hence the 'Reloaded' in the title. We have been busy producing a film, by the name of Limestone Cowboy, which is intended for international distribution. 

And now we have decided to return to the local scene with a live performance comedy show, focusing on hard-hitting satire and outside-of-the-box situations. This will be 'officially' our first time on stage with a full-blown show, and we are very excited about it. Television censors comedy and satire, and that situation can be very stifling and de-motivating for a writer. Theatre, on the other hand, opens those doors we weren't able to open before. Moreover, we will have direct contact with our audience which is always a pleasure!

 

Where and when will the show be held?

The show will be held on Saturday 30 April and the following Saturday, 7 May, at the City Theatre in Valletta, with the possibility of adding more dates subject to the demand.

 

Who is your favourite character and why?

As a writer my favourite character is Carmelo Arancini, played by Stephen Mifsud from Min Imissu. Carmelo is basically an eccentric, highly opinionated middle-aged bachelor with a radical socio-political stance, a passionate love for the islands but a healthy distaste for the islanders, and a penchant for delivering colourful tirades loosely peppered with linguistically speaking, extremely creative insults.

Additional comedic torque is provided by Eclaire, played by Mario Cassar (Gable, from Deceduti), Carmelo's trusted sidekick a zesty teenage youth with an ambiguous sexuality whose lifelong dream is to make it in the fashion industry. Where talent lacks, Eclaire's flamboyant personality, his complete disregard for social norms and a seemingly total ignorance as to Carmelo's open hostility towards him, creates a fantastic contrast that yields tons of comedic friction between the two.

 

What about the cast, new faces, old faces... who can we expect to see on stage?

Take2 has always followed the tried and tested formula of giving opportunities to up-and-coming new artists and performers. It has always been our belief that new blood is always healthy. While retaining names from Deceduti and Min Imissu such as Mario Cassar (Gable) and Julian Calleja (Alfio), among the newer additions to the Take2 crew are Paul Falzon, Daniel Attard Portugues and Rachel Gilford, three actors that first worked with us on the film Limestone Cowboy and have now become a part of the extended Take 2 team.

Joining them are also Analise Mifsud and Matthew Sant Sultana, two new faces that were picked up from our latest workshops earlier last winter, and Karen Decelis, who worked with us on the series Evangelisti and has a fantastic comedic streak!

 

What can audiences expect?

This is an unusual show composed of a mixture of stand up and scripted and non-scripted sketches demanding audience interaction and even participation. We wanted to involve the audience in both the comedy and the creation of comedy and we are very happy with the end result. The fantastic thing about this show is that given the particular nature of the formula employed, no two nights can and will be exactly the same. So, to the question what can the audience expect my honest answer must be: I don't exactly know... what I do know is that it's going to be a barrel of laughs and a ton of fun!