This past month or so has seen me visit two art exhibitions, two theatrical productions and devour an excellent book.
First to the art exhibitions. Both are currently at St James Cavalier in Castille Square. In the main hall is an exhibition of abstracts by Maltese artist Louis Zammit. These I loved, they all seem to have been either painted under water or using a technique that gives this impression. Swirling colours and abstract shapes draw you towards them and hold your attention, at least they did mine.
Next door in the atrium, the People's Republic of China have staged a wonderful exhibition of Chinese kites. The atrium is the ideal place to stage this, since its height lends space and a different perspective to the show. The artistry in the design and execution of these kites is extraordinary, I particularly like the heron kite and the two that were fashioned in the shape of short-eared owls.
The book I am currently reading is called Inside Little Britain. It is an account of the live tour undergone by Little Britain stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas. This TV comedy sketch show has won a cabinet full of awards in recent years and has featured here in Malta occasionally on BBC Prime TV. The book is written by Messrs Walliams and Lucas, but with the bulk of the work done by journalist Boyd Hilton. It is extremely readable and - as well as charting their live tour - it contains snippets about the two men's private lives and their public personas. How they deal with criticism, (they wisely ignore it) success, money and their own ambiguous sexualities (Matt is gay, David is sort of not). Their tour takes them all over Britain and certainly serves to cement the various characters they create into the affections of their audiences.
Speaking of which, the audience on the night I went to see the panto this year - Pirates of the Mediterranean, at the Manoel Theatre - were raucous and highly appreciative of events up on the stage. And let me say straight away, this was certainly the best panto I've seen at the Manoel Theatre for quite a few years. To be honest I was less than keen on going this year, after the decidedly poor fare we have had to endure in recent years. But I was pleasantly surprised, it was splendid and enjoyed by children and adults equally. Edward Merceica, who also wrote the script, was a grotesquely larger than life dame, indeed he was a real pantomime dame, far removed from the rather tacky drag-queen persona we've endured in the past few years. So well done to the MADC for restoring my faith in panto.
The other play to be visited was also an MADC production, Laughing Wild at the St James theatre. This was a play for two actors and ideally suited to the small St James auditorium. Denise Mulholland was very convincing as a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown - if she wasn't already having one - and Alan Montanaro was the perfect foil for her histrionics.
A very good production and one that neatly sums up my month.
First to the art exhibitions. Both are currently at St James Cavalier in Castille Square. In the main hall is an exhibition of abstracts by Maltese artist Louis Zammit. These I loved, they all seem to have been either painted under water or using a technique that gives this impression. Swirling colours and abstract shapes draw you towards them and hold your attention, at least they did mine.
Next door in the atrium, the People's Republic of China have staged a wonderful exhibition of Chinese kites. The atrium is the ideal place to stage this, since its height lends space and a different perspective to the show. The artistry in the design and execution of these kites is extraordinary, I particularly like the heron kite and the two that were fashioned in the shape of short-eared owls.
The book I am currently reading is called Inside Little Britain. It is an account of the live tour undergone by Little Britain stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas. This TV comedy sketch show has won a cabinet full of awards in recent years and has featured here in Malta occasionally on BBC Prime TV. The book is written by Messrs Walliams and Lucas, but with the bulk of the work done by journalist Boyd Hilton. It is extremely readable and - as well as charting their live tour - it contains snippets about the two men's private lives and their public personas. How they deal with criticism, (they wisely ignore it) success, money and their own ambiguous sexualities (Matt is gay, David is sort of not). Their tour takes them all over Britain and certainly serves to cement the various characters they create into the affections of their audiences.
Speaking of which, the audience on the night I went to see the panto this year - Pirates of the Mediterranean, at the Manoel Theatre - were raucous and highly appreciative of events up on the stage. And let me say straight away, this was certainly the best panto I've seen at the Manoel Theatre for quite a few years. To be honest I was less than keen on going this year, after the decidedly poor fare we have had to endure in recent years. But I was pleasantly surprised, it was splendid and enjoyed by children and adults equally. Edward Merceica, who also wrote the script, was a grotesquely larger than life dame, indeed he was a real pantomime dame, far removed from the rather tacky drag-queen persona we've endured in the past few years. So well done to the MADC for restoring my faith in panto.
The other play to be visited was also an MADC production, Laughing Wild at the St James theatre. This was a play for two actors and ideally suited to the small St James auditorium. Denise Mulholland was very convincing as a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown - if she wasn't already having one - and Alan Montanaro was the perfect foil for her histrionics.
A very good production and one that neatly sums up my month.
Independent journalism costs money. Support Times of Malta for the price of a coffee.
Support Us