As the opening night beckons for Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs, Laura Bonnici chats with LUKE CHAPPELL about his shift from singing on the X Factor Malta stage to bringing 1930s Brooklyn to life with MADC.

Best known for his music and his rise as a semi-finalist on X Factor Malta, Luke Chappell is now taking on a new challenge. He soon steps into his first role with MADC in Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs, directed by Tyrone Grima. For Chappell, it’s an opportunity to spread his creative wings in a different direction.

“I had already worked with Tyrone Grima on a production I had written for MCAST, and I knew how good he was at guiding actors from that production,” he recalls, when asked what led him to audition.

“As soon as I read the character listings for Brighton Beach Memoirs, I immediately felt that it was right for me to play Eugene. It felt like something that most actors I look up to would take on, so I put on my big boots and built the courage to audition. I auditioned twice for the role, and it kept me on my toes to always humble myself, learn from every experience and never give up. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!”

Although Chappell is well established in music, acting is a fresh challenge. The two worlds, he says, are separate but share common ground.

“Performing live theatre has a very similar feeling to performing music on stage, but playing a character is a completely different ball game. The crucial importance is the stamina you must build as a performer. My job is to entertain, and that comes with a lot of research, physical preparation and mental strength to do it for six separate nights with the same amount of energy. Every audience member is experiencing this for the first time, so that’s special,” he highlights.

Eugene Jerome, the main character of Simon’s semi-autobiographical Brighton Beach Memoirs, is a 15-year-old boy growing up in 1930s Brooklyn. Chappell delved deep into the role to portray the character with authenticity.

Thea Costa and Luke Chappell

“I’m embodying a character inspired by Neil Simon himself,” he says. “There are elements of who he is in Eugene, so I needed to bring my own experiences at the age of 15 to the table, as well as his.” For a young actor making his MADC debut, Chappell has found working alongside the seasoned cast an inspiring and rewarding experience – if initially intimidating.

“I’m so blessed to be part of such a professional team. We bounce back and forth with each other’s energy, and we’re really enjoying it when we’re performing on stage. Given that most of the actors on board have been in the industry for quite some time, it was intimidating at first, but they’re all so humble and great to work with.”

Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon will be staged on October 18-20 and 25-27 at 7.30pm, at the MADC Playhouse, Santa Venera. Tickets are available at www.madc.com.mt. This production is suitable for audiences aged 14 and over, is supported by MCAST, and is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc: www.concordtheatricals.com.