Since 2017, The Shrinking Violets has produced some of Malta’s most memorable, thought-provoking and critically acclaimed productions, including Jamboy, Ernest and the Pale Moon, Us/Them and, most recently, In Other Words.
Yet, the five female theatre practitioners behind the theatre collective – namely Maria Buckle, Jo Caruana, Chiara Hyzler, Cathy Lawlor and Denise Mulholland – have never actually performed together on stage in a Violets production – until now.
Acting to an already full house at Palazzo Parisio on November 10, 11 and 12, Miscast – An Atypical Cabaret will see the five Violets perform together for the first time alongside performers Mikhail Basmadjian, Thomas Camilleri, Joseph Zammit and Luca Zerafa.
The actors playing against type has made for some hilarious rehearsals, reveals Maria Buckle.
“We pull each other’s legs, so we have a good laugh, but we push and trust each other fully. Miscast is special as it has allowed us to all be in the same room during rehearsals in a way none of the scripts of our previous shows ever has.”
For fellow Violet Jo Caruana, Miscast has been a chance to spend time among friends who have shared her journey as a performer over the years.
“I’ve worked with several of the people on this stage since my teens, so any opportunity to create with them is a privilege. Now that I live in the UK, those moments are rare, so Miscast is precious,” she shares.
It was when Denise Mulholland wondered aloud what a ‘miscast’ show might look like that the Violets were inspired to explore a concept not often attempted in the world of theatre.
“Like all actors, we have a ‘casting’ when it comes to the types of parts we’ve portrayed over the years. And, like all actors, we’ve had conversations about the parts we’d have loved to play, if we were the right fit for them,” Caruana elaborates.
“Here was an opportunity to step of outside our comfort zones and do something a bit different. Thus, audiences will get a glimpse into the casting process and how we see ourselves, as well as how we’d like to see ourselves.”
The Shrinking Violets were also able, with the support of Arts Council Malta, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and Palazzo Parisio, to extend this opportunity to seven young performers in Malta, selected via an open casting call, to create The Indigo Collective.
Their devised show, Musical Matchup – The Who’s Who Cabaret, is set for a showcase performance during the same weekend as the Violets’ show.
To focus fully on planning and developing Miscast, the Violets booked a retreat together in Tuscany earlier this year.
“We started by looking at various scenarios of ‘wrong’ casting and let the songs and the music guide us,” Buckle says.
The resulting cabaret performance, which three audiences will soon enjoy, will feature songs from musicals such as The Book of Mormon, Oliver, Les Misérables, A Chorus Line, Ordinary Days and Company.
The Shrinking Violets production of Miscast – An Atypical Cabaret will be performed on November 10, 11 and 12 at Palazzo Parisio, Naxxar. Tickets for this production have now sold out. Tickets for Musical Matchup – The Who’s Who Cabaret are free but should be reserved on indigocollectivemalta@gmail.com.
This project is supported by Arts Council Malta, as well as Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and Palazzo Parisio. More information about The Shrinking Violets is available at www.facebook.com/shrinking violetsmalta.