Composer Ruben Zahra’s latest oeuvre is an interdisciplinary interpretation of Franz Kafka’s timeless novella The Metamorphosis. It will be held in March.
With an eclectic repertoire to his name, composer Ruben Zahra can always be relied on to bring challenging and exciting productions to his audiences. His interdisciplinary works encompass numerous art forms and he has made a name for himself not only locally but abroad – especially with Kirana, a children’s opera that has toured in 15 different countries over the past three years.
Zahra’s latest oeuvre is Kafka’s Insect, an interdisciplinary performance based on the short novel The Metamorphosis, one of the best-known and most celebrated works by German literary great Franz Kafka, published in 1915. The protagonist is Gregor Samsa, a young salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a large insect, and the story narrates Gregor’s psychological struggle to adjust to his new condition.
Not one to opt for linear story-telling, Zahra’s vision sees Kafka’s Insect transcend the demand for the spoken word through the universal language of images, sound and music. The story unfolds through a cycle of video-art scenes, accompanied by a live piano score and modular analog synthesisers.
The narrative is presented through the sections in the story that portray sound, such as the prodding of feet as the furniture in Gregor’s room is moved around by his mother and sister, a medicinal glass vial shattering on the floor, and rain pelting against the window panes – ordinary, everyday sounds that are amplified and brought to the forefront of the performance.
The video sections of the production were shot with the Achromat lens created in France in 1839. This lens captures an illuminous soft focus with rich textured backgrounds. It is an effect rarely achieved with modern lenses, adding a unique vintage look to the footage. The video was directed by Zahra himself; and he has brought together a team of some of the best names in Malta’s film industry, including renowned filmmaker Kenneth Scicluna, cinematographer Matthew Muscat Drago and sound recordist Aleksander Bundalo. The production design is by Adrian Mamo.
Zahra has created the titular insect through stop-motion animation. These animated vignettes are inspired by the legacy of illustrations created for the novel over the past 100 years. The animation techniques offer the possibility to explore the surreal universe portrayed in these illustrations.
The astonishing sound and video media used for the performance are complemented by the music composed for acoustic piano and vintage analogue synthesisers. The virtuoso piano score shall be performed live by Tricia Dawn Williams, creating an exciting ‘dialogue’ between the live music recital and the soundscape of the projected video.
Kafka’s Insect’s cast features Isabelle Gatt as Mrs Samsa, Silvio Axisa as Mr Samsa, Svetlana Pandolfino as Greta Samsa, Andre Mangion as Gregor Samsa and violinist Agnieszka Kuzma.
Kafka’s Insect is supported by the Malta Arts Fund and will be held at the Valletta Campus Theatre (ex-MITP) on March 21 and 22 at 8pm. Booking on www.ticketline.com.mt. For more information visit the production’s Facebook page