THEATRE
Mamma Mia
FM Theatre Productions is restaging Mamma Mia, the jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson and based on some of Abba’s best-loved songs, all of which were composed by ex-band members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
West End actress Charlotte Gorton will be reprising her role as the feisty Donna, mother to the fun-loving Sophie played by Sarah Mercieca. The cast also includes Dorothy Bezzina, Pia Zammit, Mikhail Basmadjian, Ray Calleja, Edward Mercieca, Thomas Camilleri, Nicole Cassar and Hannah Spiteri, together with a singing and dancing ensemble.
The show, directed by Chris Gatt and with musical direction by Kris Spiteri and choreography by Francesco Nicodeme, will be staged at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on February 24-26. For tickets, click here.
Ugo Sultan
Ignite Theatre Malta is presenting a satirical, fictional piece, loosely based on Alfred Jarry’s play Ubu Roi, which takes a look back at events that occurred on the Maltese islands more than a hundred years ago.
The production is being staged between February 24 and 26 at the Sagrestia Vault, Valletta Waterfront. Tickets are available here.
Misery
Masquerade is staging Stephen King’s bestselling novel Misery until February 26.
Originally written by William Goldman, Misery follows the successful romance novelist who is rescued from a car accident by his ‘number one fan’. The Masquerade production stars Isabel Warrington, Alan Paris and Victor Debono, and is directed by Stephen Oliver with a set design by Romualdo Moretti.
The production, suitable for an audience aged 12 and above, is being held at Blue Box at M Space in Msida. For tickets, visit masquerademalta.com.
Alan Paris and Isabel Warrington in Misery. Photo: Justin MamoMUSIC
O Mio Signore – sacred arias for soprano
Soprano Charlene PortelliSoprano Charlene Portelli and pianist Ramona Zammit Formosa will perform in another lunchtime concert organised by the Barocco Foundation in collaboration with Din l-Art Ħelwa on February 21.
The programme includes sacred masterpieces such as Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna by Dolce Sentire, Pie Jesu by G. Fauré, C. Gounod’s Ave Maria, O Mio Signor by G. F. Handel, another version of Panis Angelicus by C. Franck as well as A.L. Weber’s Pie Jesu and Chi ci separera by M. Frisina.
After the concert, patrons are invited for free to the cellar of the church to watch a short audiovisual show about the building, history and the restoration of this gem.
O Mio Signore – sacred arias for soprano will be held at Our Lady of Victory church, Valletta, on Tuesday, February 21, at 12.30pm. Entrance to the concert is at a suggested donation of €10. One can obtain the tickets prior to the concert from the venue itself or by e-mail: baroccomalta@gmail.com or calling 79680952.
Ħoss il-Malti
On International Mother Language Day, February 21, the Directorate-General for Translations at the European Commission Representation in Malta is celebrating the Maltese language with an evening of old and contemporary Maltese music at Offbeat in Valletta.
The event starts at 6pm. Entrance is free.
Laudate Dominum in Sanctus Eius
The Għaqda Nazzjonali Każini tal-Banda is commemorating the 75th anniversary since the organisation’s foundation with a concert at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta on February 24 at 7.30pm.
This event will also be the inaugural concert of the Malta Symphonic Band formed with the scope of bringing the most talented and promising musicians from different local band clubs together.
Tickets are available on showshappening.com.
For the Love of Valletta
Pianist Milica Lawrence and tenor Mario Bahg will be peforming in a concert dedicated to Valleta at the Sala dei Cavalieri at Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta on February 24 at 7pm.
The programme includes works by Schumann, Rossini, Donizetti, Lehar and Marlene Moore.
For tickets, click here.
Beethoven 4 Brahms
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Venezuelan-born US conductor Ilyich Rivas, returns to Gozo for an evening of symphonic music by Beethoven and Brahms on February 25.
The concert is taking place at the Aurora Theatre in Victoria at 7.30pm. For tickets, visit showshappening.com.
DANCE
Missing: The Brothel of Strait Street
Moveo Dance Company is presenting a contemporary dance performance at The Splendid at 67, Strait Street, Valletta, between February 24 and 26.
The show is inspired by the former red light disctrict and is certified 18+.
For tickets, log on to www.moveodancecompany.com/book-now.html.
Moveo dancers rehearsing for Missing.ŻfinDays
The annual programme of works introduced in 2019 by ŻfinMalta’s artistic director Paolo Mangiola, runs again next weekend at the Valletta Campus Theatre.
On February 24, there will be a double bill with Nuova Figura by Mangiola and Okokok by Marco D’Agostin, currently associated artist at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, while Weaving Chaos, by Tânia Carvalho, which is inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, will be performed on February 25 and 26.
For tickets, visit showshappening.com.
Dancers in Weaving Chaos. Photo: Marija GrechMISCELLANEOUS
Carnival 2023
National carnival festivities continue until Tuesday, February 21, when celebrations come to an end with the final défilé in St Anne Street, Floriana, and a carnival ball in Triton Square featuring various local deejays.
For all the details, visit festivals.mt/carnival-programme. Tickets for the carnival activities in St George’s Square, Valletta, are available from ticketline.com.mt.
Għaxaq is also holding its traditional, spontaneous carnival until tomorrow, while several entities, including Esplora and the Malta National Aquarium, are organising carnival-related events.
In Gozo, the main activities are taking place in Victoria and Nadur. For more information, log on to visitgozo.com.
ĊineXjenza – Milked
Spazju Kreattiv is hosting another edition of ĊineXjenza, which will this time take a look at the dairy industry.
The event includes the screening of the award-winning documentary Milked, which follows young activist Chris Huriwai as he takes on the giants of New Zealand’s most powerful industry, and reveals how the sacred cash-cow industry has been milked dry.
The screening will be followed by a discussion, where experts from Animal Liberation Malta will speak about the situation in the Maltese islands and expert Sholeem Griffin, a researcher in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Malta, will share her insights on this controversial topic.
The event is taking place at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on Tuesday, February 21, at 7pm. For tickets, click here.
Il-Ġisem − Open Mic/Palk Ħieles
The second-year students reading for a Bachelor’s degree in the Performing Arts at MCAST are holding an open mic event at Palazzo de La Salle in Valletta on February 23, with the aim to raise funds for their end-of-year production.
As part of their studies, the students are required to stage a theatrical production within a community. This year, the students will be working closely with Dar Kenn Għal Saħħtek, which helps people who are going through an eating disorder.
Thursday’s event includes various activities such as reading, performance and art related to the theme of the body. Everyone is invited to participate or simply enjoy the evening. Readings can be in any language.
For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
NOMA 2023
Com.It.Es Malta and the Malta Chamber of Fashion Foundation, under the patronage of the Italian Embassy in Malta and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Malta, is presenting a sports, fashion and culture fundraising event on February 24 at Spinola Suite, Hilton Portomaso, St Julian's.
The event will accompany an award ceremony for Merit & Achievement featuring Emma Muscat (on video from Milan), swimmer Neil Agius, bowling star Sue Abela and internationally famed tenor Luca Minnelli, aka ‘The Voice of Venice’.
There will also be fashion shows by Carla Grima’s Studio, Selena Nei Luxury Bags, Rome and Sue’s Jewels.
The funds raised will go towards Dar Merħba Bik and the Gruppo di Carità di Santa Caterina d’Italia.
The event starts at 8pm. Tickets are available from eventbrite.com.
VISUAL ARTS
365th February
The Past Pupils and Friends of Don Bosco are holding an exhibition at 14, St John Bosco Street, Sliema, between February 24 and 26 as the world marks the first anniversary since the invasion of Ukraine.
The exhibition partly comprises the work of numerous Ukrainian contemporary artists – Artists Support Ukraine Foundation (ASU) and has already travelled around the world.
Opening hours: February 24 from 9am to 6pm; February 25 from 9am to noon and 4 to 7pm and February 26 from 8.30am to noon and from 6 to 9pm.
For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
Is-City - Late Paintings
About 30 paintings by the late jazz musician Charles ‘City’ Gatt, who passed away a year ago, on February 19, are on display at 134, Old Bakery Street Valletta.
The exhibition is curated by fellow artist Austin Camilleri and will run until February 26. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 10am to 7pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 1pm.
On Thursday, February 23, there will be a jam session by some jazz musicians in the same venue at 7.30pm, to honour Gatt’s musical legacy.
Some of the works by the late Charles 'ic-City' Gatt on display in Valletta. Photo: FacebookAnamnesis
Artist Clint Calleja is presenting an introspective exhibition consisting of paintings, sculptures, photography and installations revolving around the theme of ‘trauma and memory’.
Curated by Kenneth Cassar, this exhibition purports to be an intimate confession through four life-changing tragic chapters that have marked the artist and his family in a short period of time.
The exhibition, supported by Arts Council Malta, runs till February 26. For more information, visit kreattivita.org.
Detail of an artwork by Clint Calleja on display at Spazju Kreattiv. Photo: Audrey Rose MizziAnthological Art Exhibition
A retrospective exhibition by artist Mario Zammit-Lewis is on display at the parliament building in Valletta until February 28.
The exhibition explores the various aspects of the artist’s oeuvre that is stylistically and thematically very eclectic. A monograph, published to accompany the exhibition, is available for purchase at the venue.
Zammit-Lewis, born to a Maltese father and an Italian mother, has exhibited extensively abroad. He is the recipient of a number of international awards that have celebrated his accomplishments along the years.
Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am till noon.
Works by Mario Zammit Lewis on display at the Parliament building.Fragments
Landscape artist Andew Borg is presenting his fourth solo exhibition, Fragments, at the Palm Court Lounge, at the Phoenicia in Floriana until February 28.
The exhibition, curated by Charlene Vella, features Sicilian landscapes as well Maltese ones, thus expressing the artist’s life of the last few months which has seen him living between the two Mediterranean islands.
The exhibition explores Borg’s current state of mind, one in which the Sicilian landscape is gaining the upper hand as he feels more attachment to the larger neighbour.
L-għabex by Andrew BorgWhat'Chu Looking At? Who You Speaking With? A Gazing All Around
Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta is hosting a series of works by African creatives who explore the countless realities and situations that are present across the 54 countries making part of the continent of Africa.
The exhibition, commissioned by the creativity centre, runs till March 5. For more information, click here.
Scenic Route: An Artistic Journey through the Maltese Islands
Malta-based artist Andrew Smith, who specialises in en plein air paintings, is holding a solo exhibition at Gallery 23 in Balzan from February 26 to March 8.
Curated by Rachel Said and Alexia Gingell Littlejohn, the exhibition features various scenes from Malta and Gozo, such as the Kalkara Marina, Luqa church, fields in Xewkija, Marsaxlokk, Senglea Waterfront and Fomm ir-Riħ.
The artist will be in residence at Gallery 23, Idmejda Street, Balzan on Sundays (10am-12.30pm) and Wednesdays (6.30-8pm).
Viewing can also be arranged by appointment on 9942 8272 or e-mail info@gallery23malta.com.
Sant' Andrija church, Luqa, by Andrew SmithGhost Stories
Artist Alfie Gatt depicts moments in the ‘life’ of a girl, whom he refers to as the White Lady in his current exhibition at Mqabba’s Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq.
The figure lovingly haunts a palatial Maltese house, patterned tiles, traditional tal-lira clock and all, thus affirming the ‘Malteseness’ of the narrative.
According to the artist, the ghost is a metaphor for a person experiencing procrastination.
Ghost Stories, curated by Melanie Erixon for Art Sweven, runs between February 17 and March 12.
Loop by Alfie GattInsular
An exhibition by French photographer Cédrine Scheidig is opening at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on February 23.
The project focuses on the everyday life and destiny of young men from the African diaspora, recently settled on the island of Malta. Offering a sensitive portrait of this new community, the weaving of portraits, landscapes and still lives sets a poetical narration that attempts to create a sense of belonging; the semblance of a home in the making between here and there.
The exhibition runs until April 2 and is supported by the French Embassy and the Alliance Francaise de Malte-Méditerranée. For more information, click here.
One of the photos on display at Insular. Photo: Facebook/Spazju KreattivOTHER EXHIBITIONS
Carnival exhibition
Spazju Kreattiv is hosting an exhibition of carnival costumes as part of the official carnival celebrations organised by Festivals Malta.
The exhibition runs until March 5. Entrance is free.
Carnival costumes on display at Spazju Kreattiv. Photo: Facebook/Spazju KreattivViva Viva l-Karnival: The George Zahra Donation
An exhibition celebrating a donation of carnival memorabilia by carnvial enthusiast George Zahra to Heritage Malta runs at the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa until April 9.
The exhibition comprises official carnival programmes dating as far back as 1930, models for carnival floats, music scores, trophies and participation certificates, among other memorabilia.
Entrance to the exhibition is part and parcel of the Inquisitor’s Palace experience and there is no additional fee. The museum is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Sundays from 9am to 5pm.
Donated exhibits on display at the Inquisitor's Palace. Photo: Heritage MaltaUnseen and Unheard: Stories of Women Under Fire
The Storm Petrel Foundation is hosting an archival exhibition that sheds light on overlooked or previously unrecorded war narratives and microhistories from Malta and elsewhere.
It brings together items and artefacts drawn from different collections, with a primary focus on wartime experiences of women and girls.
The exhibition was inspired by a series of conversations between the NGO and Robert Attard, who had found a collection of letters written by a young German woman during World War II, some of which are on display.
The exhibition is organised across five different rooms at the Storm Petrel Foundation’s premises in Attard, with each room representing a different era or focus.
The Storm Petrel Foundation has collaborated with Simon Cusens, Kim Dalli, Sharp Shoot Media, Media Coop, Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta, Sarah Chircop and Giuliana Fenech, Heritage Malta, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and Palazzo Falson.
The exhibition runs until April 14. For opening hours and more information, visit the foundation's Facebook page.
Some of the exhibits at the Storm Petrel Foundation premises in Attard. Photo: Facebook/Storm Petrel FoundationShoah the Holocaust: How Was It Humanly Possible?
The Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta has organised a Holocaust Memorial exhibition which will be displayed at three venues in Malta until June.
The exhibition deals with major historical aspects of the Holocaust, beginning with Jewish life in pre-Holocaust Europe and ending with the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps across the continent and the remarkable return to life of the survivors.
The display panels feature explanatory texts, with quotes from Jewish victims and survivors, photographs, art documents and videos for eight survivor stories.
The exhibition is open at the German-Maltese Circle in Valletta until March 12, opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 8am to 6pm; from March 13 to April 23 at MCAST Paola, opening hours Monday to Friday from 7am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 12.15pm (closed on Sundays); and from April 24 to June 4 at the University of Malta, Msida Campus, open from Monday to Friday from 7am to 11pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 4.45pm.
For more information, visit shoah.jewishheritagemalta.org/.