'Performance of a lifetime' at Birgu this week

The 3 Islands Project (Malta, Cyprus and Britain, Cornwall) has entered its final phase of rehearsals before the show entitled A very old man with enormous wings, based on a short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, opens on Wednesday in Birgu.

Part of the 3 Islands Project, it is an ambitious spectacular event in collaboration with St James Cavalier and the prestigious Cyprus Theatre Organisation by the invitation of the Birgu council and with support of the European Union Culture 2000 programme and the British Council, Malta.

Here is a diary of events that went on over the past week.

Monday
Torrential downpour prevented us from doing anything outside, so we rehearsed indoors in the parish hall. The actors all know their moves by now so it's basically polishing up and tying loose ends. Had an emergency call in the early afternoon - some of the set was being washed away and the fishermen's boats down on the waterfront were being swamped.

We all rushed down to try and salvage our precious set and to try and help save the boats from being washed away. We all ended up soaked to the skin. In the evening, we had interviews with persons who want to do something special in our 'circus' area - we were amazed at the amount of people who showed up despite the pouring rain and we ended up with some very interesting acts!

Tuesday
Spent all morning hammering and painting, and the rest of the day running around junkyards and boat yards looking for things that could come in useful. Found some fantastic old boats that are perfect for the set down by the waterfront. Rain disrupted the day again and everyone got drenched trying to cover up our precious set.

All day, people kept showing up volunteering their help or asking to be involved in some way! Thank goodness for the people of Birgu! Spent the afternoon in the parish hall cutting out large cardboard cut-outs and painting strips of wood to be used in the fairground. In the evening we had a rehearsal with Etnika which lasted till late at night.

Wednesday
Had a meeting with the craft-makers regarding the set-up of their stalls and the items on sale at the market. We're going to have original, perhaps forgotten handcrafts from Malta, Cyprus and the UK. Later on we had a big rehearsal in which we rehearsed the Carnival scene, complete with authentic float or karru. There is hardly enough space to move inside the parish hall with all the props, costumes, stands, bits of set, and mountains of buckets of paint, cardboard, wood and papers. Oh yes, and everyone's clothes spread out to dry!

Thursday
Tried rehearsing stunts this morning. Safety first, so it took a while to set everything up. We're quite pleased with the outcome - even though we had a few hairy moments and narrow escapes! Who said this job is easy anyway? Continued building the set, which is taking shape and starting to look fantastic.

Had a meeting with some of the artists who are going to put up installations in certain areas around Birgu. These will reflect and are inspired by the town itself, making use of the space available, even involving the residents. Not sure exactly what they're going to do... I guess there's only one way to find out!

Friday
Had a look at the basic layout of the marketplace followed another rehearsal with Etnika, this time including the bellydancers. In the afternoon, we got the crane in place by the waterfront so that we could practise the grand finale of the show. Later, had a meeting with the British Council and St James Cavallier about box office details.

Saturday
Tried to get Paul Portelli to fly! Actually, things went pretty smoothly. We harnessed him to the crane and up he went! It's going to be an amazing sight with Paul suspended, flying over the bastions of Birgu wearing his absolutely enormous wings! Some of the actors were going through their moves for the hundredth time, though you wouldn't think this because their performance looks so fresh and energetic.

They're from Malta, Cyprus and the UK and the mix of such cultures has produced some truly amazing scenes. In the evening we relaxed a little bit down on the waterfront chatting and winding down by the sea looking out at the harbour.

Sunday
A day of rest for some, but not for us! Rehearsed everything from the beginning till the end. The circus show is looking fantastic. The market place is even bigger and better than expected - the crafts have started to be delivered, including some very strange looking brass objects which I mean to take a closer look at later. Spoke to the animal handler about the safety of the chickens and made an appointment for him to inspect the chicken coop in the market palace.

This was followed by a costume parade in which everybody tried on his or her costume and adjustments were noted. In the evening we continued with our work painting and putting final touches on the set. With Birgu on one side and Valletta on the other, this looks like it's going to be a performance of a lifetime. Just can't wait for it to start!

Tickets for A very old man with enormous wings are available from St James Cavallier, Valletta, Birgu council or on the night from Malta Tourism Authority Birgu-Fest information stalls.

Performances are on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Birgu itself. Due to the huge demand for tickets, it is advisable to book early. All performances start at 6 p.m. sharp.