You've been in the rehearsal room with Ruben Zahra, for a number of weeks; describe the process.
The process with Ruben has been very intriguing, intense, rigorous and amusingly challenging. Ruben is a very inspiring artist to work with. At the beginning, his direction used to involve physicalising all sorts of routines in the empty space. This led to a 'library' of physical sequences that eventually had to be incorporated with Trevor's text. I memorised the text from the get-go, because there is no way that you can devise this type of work with a script in your hands. We continuously explore vocally what we can do - there is another 'library' of tones and sounds in there, as well. It was beautiful to feel these physical sequences blend so perfectly with the text and sound. It felt like painting an artwork on canvas, but instead of paint, brushes, canvas and the painter's imagination, you are using the actor, the text, the empty space, and a director of acute vision.
Is this your first one-woman show? And if not what makes this different to others you've done before.
This is my second one-woman performance. The first one was held way back in 2006 at Spazju Kreattiv. It was called The Second Coming of Joan of Arc by Carolyn Gage. It was an electrifying experience and a transformative one for me as a performer. You cannot compare the two. Min Hi? by Trevor Zahra is very different from Gage's.
First, the themes in question are incomparable. The Second Coming of Joan of Arc was political, and it was exploring themes based on the state and the church through the eyes of a woman who was burnt at the stake for voicing her thoughts out. Min Hi? is a very imaginative performance based on female characters derived from literature, biblical and mythological stories. In Min Hi? this collage of stories come to life through a very intimate perception of the women, who are rarely, or never explored in these stories that Trevor, so cleverly, penned down.
Min Hi? also differs in language and Trevor's eclectic, handpicked use of Maltese words; those words that you hear, and instantly open a world of feelings and imagination for you! I enjoy performing in any language, however, performing in your native tongue will always hit some strings that no other learned language can.
The style of this performance is also very different. Min Hi? is macabre and staged during Halloween, or as we Maltese say, L-Għid tal-Imwiet. Trevor's poetic text is cloaked in Ruben's artistic vision of blending the macabre with sheer aesthetic beauty. It's a paradise of twistedness!
In this role, you play not one but 12 different women; challenging to say the least. Tell us more about this.
When I read the script, naturally, I tend to slip into hearing the voices of the characters and seeing their physicality. I can't help myself! However, I try as much as I can to start the process from a very neutral state, and allowing the rehearsal process to inspire the characters to start growing, so I can keep them as organic as possible.
It is always challenging playing any character. You need to think like them, walk like them, talk like them, react like them and really surrender yourself, your natural, instinctive habits and instead, inhabit someone else's traits.
The challenge lies not in the creation of the traits, but rather in the acting part of these traits, with ease and pure effortlessness. You need to make the audience think that the character you are portraying is easy to do, or they can do it themselves! The moment you reach that 'effortlessness', so to speak, that is the moment the audience is really focusing on the story rather than the 'talent' of the performer, and that is where all your characters need to be before 'raising the curtain'.
This would be your third production with Teatru Malta, VII (Sette) being your most recent. What makes this production so different to anything else you've done with the National Theatre company before?
Like I said, every production is different. You go in with fresh eyes and a new outlook - no production is the same and no performance is the same, even if you do it 100 times! All three productions - L-Gharusa Karfusa (Qarcilla), VII (Sette), Min Hi? - produced by Teatru Malta vary so much in theme, style, story plot, characters, audience demographics.
However, what distinguishes Min Hi? from L-Gharusa Karfusa (Qarcilla) and VII (Sette) is the fact that this is a one-woman show. In a one-woman show, there is nowhere to hide, no one to lean on and nothing to hold on to, except for a story that needs to be told.
What can audiences expect to see that they haven't already in the controversial street theatre shows?
Now why would I tell the audience that? I think it would ruin the magic. I say to the audience, come to Rialto, and see for yourself! We promise you an enchantingly dark and unique experience that you have never seen before!
Min Hi? Is written by Trevor Zahra, directed and composed by Ruben Zahra, and is a one woman show starring Lee-N Abela with live singing by Maltese soprano Nadia Vella. Seating for Min Hi? is limited and the production runs between 31 October and 3 November for four chilling nights only
To book your €15/€12 tickets for Min Hi? visit kultura.mt or visit teatrumalta.org.mt for more information
Photos: Marija Grech