THEATRE

Grease

The Manoel Theatre and Masquerade Malta are presenting an adaptation of this popular musical romantic comedy on October 21 and 22, 25-29. 

Featuring a book, music and lyrics of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, the show is directed by Anthony Bezzina, with musical direction by Kris Spiteri and choreography by Valerie Burke.

The cast includes Raphael Pace as Danny, Hannah Spiteri as Sandy, Jasmine Farrugia as Rizzo and Charlotte Formosa as Frenchie.

The play is suitable for an audience aged 7+ but all children aged seven to 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under seven will not be admitted to the show. Parental discretion is requested as smoking is depicted on the stage along with occasional strong language.

For tickets, visit teatrumanoel.mt.

TOI TOI: A Better World

TOI TOI, the Manoel Theatre’s Learning and Participation Programme, is presenting a new show for children aged 8 to 12 on October 21 and 22 at 4 and 5.30pm. 

The plot revolves around two children, Percie and Artie, who deal with difficult situations in their personal lives. Through the use of different art forms, the show presents two worlds: the real world that is made up of animated everyday objects, and an imaginary world, which brings the two characters closer to each other and helps them navigate the issues they face in their reality.

The show, which features puppetry, is written, directed and stars Marjann Attard and Sean Briffa.

For tickets, visit teatrumanoel.mt.

No Pay? No Way! by Dario Fo

FM Theatre Productions and Theatre Next Door are presenting an adaptation of Dario Fo’s 1974 satire No Pay, No Way by Marieke Hardy from October 20 to 29.

The plot revolves around an everyday situation, grocery shopping, which turns into surreal mayhem.

Directed by Chris Gatt, the bitterly comic play stars Pia Zammit, Edward Mercieca, Faye Paris, Nathan Brimmer and Malcolm Galea.

For tickets, visit tnd.com.mt.

MUSIC

Piano Four Hands Recital

Pianists Petra Magri Gatt and John Anthony Fsadni will perform in a piano duet at Pjazza Teatru Rjal’s Green Room in Valletta on October 20 at 8pm.

The programme includes works by Mozart, Fauré, Scubert, Dvorak and Rachmaninoff.

Entrance is free.

Piano concert at Malta Society of Arts

A concert of music composed by the vice principal of the National College of Music London, Andrew Wilson, with Milica Lawrence on the piano will take place at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta on October 21 at 7pm.

The programme includes a piece written for Lawrence, The Peacock Opus 372.

For more information, visit artsmalta.org.

Music and More opening concert

The Jesuits’ Church Foundation is opening its Music and More at the Jesuits cultural programme with a concert on October 19 at 7.30pm.

Maria Conrad (violin), Alexandre Razera (viola) and Britt Arend (harp) will perform.Besides recitals, the programme includes various public lectures and literary events.

For more details, visit the Facebook page of the Jesuits’ Church Foundation. Entrance to all events, which are held at the oratory adjacent to the Jesuit church in Merchants Street, Valletta, is free, but donations are welcome.

VII/Fidwa

Teatru Malta, in collaboration with the National Book Council, is presenting a concert packed with the music and distinctive sounds of The New Victorians during the Malta Book Festival at the MFCC in Ta' Qali on October 20 at 8.30pm.

The concert features music from VII and Il-Fidwa tal-Bdiewa, two shows with original music by the sister duo.

For tickets, click here.

Da Pacem: Pax Christiana and the Battle of Lepanto

On October 21, the Jesuits’ Church Foundation is hosting an evening of history and music to commemorate the Battle of Lepanto and understand its significance in a broader cultural context.

The evening will be illustrated by musician and researcher Alexander Vella Gregory, historian and doctoral candidate Matthias Ebejer and young historian and guide Nathaniel Calleja Gera.

It will include musical contributions by Cappella Sanctae Catharinae and soprano Dorothy Baldacchino.

The event will be held at the Oratory of the Immacolata at 7.30pm. Entrance is free.

Harmony of Hope

The University of Malta Research Trust (RIDT) is presenting a live concert in aid of cancer research at the Sir Temi Zammit Auditorium, Tal-Qroqq, on October 20 at 8pm.

The production, aimed at all the family, will see 19 singers and seven musicians performing a variety of numbers from Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World to Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love to George Ezra’s Green Green Grass. There will also be a number of songs in Maltese such as Glen Vella’s Ħarsa Biss and Meravilja by Mark Spiteri Lucas and Debbie Scerri. 

Performers also include Ludwig Galea Cherylis, Gloriana, Christian Arding, Ivan and Krista Spiteri Lucas, Corazon, Danica Muscat, Kurt Anthony, Laura Bruno, Leontine, Mark Tonna, tenor Georg Zammit, Martina Fenech and Nicole Vella.

The Spiteri Lucas Band will accompany the singers during the event. 

Bookings can be made online on www.bookingoffice.com.mt or via Whatsapp on 7984 7535.

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FILM

The Prince of Egypt: The Musical

On October 19 and 22, Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta is screening The Prince of Egypt: The Musical, filmed live at the Dominion Theatre in London's West End.

The musical is based on the classic DreamWorks Animation film adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows Moses from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny, defending the Israelites.

A 60-strong orchestra performs Stephen Schwartz’s well-known music.

For tickets, visit kreattivita.org.

MET Opera Live in HD: Dead Man Walking

Spazju Kreattiv is broadcasting US composer Jake Heggie’s powerful musical as it makes its Met premiere in a new production by Ivo van Hove on October 21. 

The musical, with a libretto by Tony and Emmy Award winner Terrence McNally, is based on Sr Helen Prejean’s memoir about her fight for the soul of a condemned murderer.

Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium, with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato starring as Sr Helen.

The cast also features bass baritone Ryan McKinny as the death-row inmate Joseph De Rocher, soprano Latonia Moore as Sr Rose and mezzo-soprano Susan Graham as De Rocher’s mother.

Note: Dead Man Walking contains a depiction of a rape and murder, as well as other adult themes and strong language.

Tickets are available from kreattivita.org.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

The Eden Cinemas in St Julian’s is bringing US singer Taylor Swift’s acclaimed tour to the big screen until November 5.

An homage to Taylor’s albums, the Eras Tour is her most expansive tour yet, with 146 dates across five continents. 

For tickets, visit edencinemas.com.mt.

Ingmar Bergman retrospective

The retrospective showcase of award-winning Swedish film-maker Ingmar Bergman’s oeuvre continues at the Spazju Kreattiv cinema in Valletta until November 3.

The next films showing in the Unveiling Bergman: A Cinematic Voyage into the Human Psyche programme are Cries and Whispers (1972) on October 20 and Autumn Sonata (1978) on November 3. All screenings start at 8.30pm.

For more information and tickets, visit kreattivita.org. Also read this preview.

Disney’s 100th anniversary celebration

KRS Releasing Ltd, in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company and in partnership with the local cinemas, is celebrating Disney’s 100th anniversary with a programme of films this summer.

These include classic, groundbreaking Disney films selected from almost every decade of the centenary such as the original animated versions of Snow White, Bambi and The Jungle Book.

Frozen, which is celebrating its 10th-year anniversary, is the last film being shown in the cycle, until October 19. 

For more information, visit the KRS Releasing Facebook page.

MISCELLANEOUS

Malta Book Festival

The 2023 Malta Book Festival, organised by the National Book Council, is taking place between October 18 and 22 at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali. 

Making good on this year’s theme of #beyondbooks, the programme includes about 100 events over five days. These range from shows and activities for the family and students, to book launches and discussions, writing workshops, performative readings and professional meet-ups between the public and book industry stakeholders. 

For more information and a full programme, click here. Also read this Times of Malta preview.

ĊineXjenza: I Am Legend

The ninth season of ĊineXjenza is opening on October 17 with the screening of I Am Legend, a post-apocalyptic action thriller starring Will Smith as US army virologist Robert Neville.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, the 2007 film paints a vivid picture of a dystopian world plagued by a deadly virus intended to cure cancer that transforms humans into mutants.

After the screening, the audience will have the opportunity to engage in a discussion led by doctors Analisse Cassar and Vanessa Petroni Magri, researchers investigating novel cancer treatments and the molecular pharmacology and pathology of cancer at the University of Malta. 

The expert speakers will delve into the real-world science behind the film and explore the possibilities and limitations of the depicted scenarios.

For tickets, visit kreattivita.org.

Ħamrun Chocolate Festival

The chocolate festival returns on October 21 from 6pm onwards in St Joseph High Street and the surrounding streets in Ħamrun.

Among this year’s attractions is a chocolate structure of an Oscar-winning actor and various exhibitions by local and international chocolatiers, live entertainment and, of course, lots of chocolate.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Aurora International Folk Festival

The next edition of the Aurora International Folk Festival is taking place in Cathedral Square, Victoria, from October 20 to 22.  

There will be folk shows by the Leone Ensemble,  Aurora Folk Group (Malta), I Picciotti da Purtedda (Sicily), Chludowianie Rajlender (Poland), Chludowianie Wiatroki (Poland) and a concert by Cash and Trio.

Wine and platters will be available all night. The event starts at 8pm.

Fort Manoel Open Day

An open day commemorating the 300th anniversary of the foundation of Fort Manoel is being held on October 22 from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

The event will feature engaging re-enactment groups and performances by The Malta Scouts’ Pipes & Drums bands. Entrance is free.

For more information, call on 2065 5500 or send an e-mail to info@midimalta.com.

VISUAL ARTS

Through My Window

Xaxa Calleja is presenting her seventh solo exhibition at Art...e gallery, in Victoria.

This collection of paintings are a window into Xaxa's world. They are a reflection of her emotions, which are represented in both abstract and representational work.

She is also presenting works that are inspired by landscapes that she has witnessed and have left a lasting impression. 

Through My Window runs daily until October 20 at the Art...e gallery, 1 Library Str, Victoria, from 9.30am to 12.15pm.

Natural Beauty

Madeleine Vella Satariano’s fourth solo exhibition includes various themes, such as nature, birds, seascapes and landscapes.

She also included paintings of horses and is sponsoring RMJ Horse Rescue by donating a percentage of the proceeds to this voluntary group who care for sick and abandoned horses.

This exhibition, hosted at the Voluntary Centre, in Bartolomew Street, Rabat, is open until October 22.

I Segnalati

Effetto Arte Foundation of Palermo and the art consultancy centre Russo of Rome are presenting the exhibition I Segnalati, curated by Salvatore Russo, at the Parliament building in Valletta until October 23.

Artists from all over the world are taking part, from France to Mexico to Hong Kong. Malta is being represented by artists Grace Borg, Raymond Grillo and Mario Zammit Lewis. 

Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, and on Saturday and Sundays, from 9am to 12.30pm.

Ignis: Capturing the Timeless at Art

A collection of ceramic artworks by Deborah Marmara and Anna Miggiani is on display at Art by the Seaside Gallery in Senglea until October 27.

The works include an array of sculptures and wall hanging works, besides showcasing a variety of firing and glazing methods.

The exhibition covers a diverse range of themes, including nature and tradition nature, while challenging conventional notions of shape and form.

Visit the venue's Facebook page for more information.

Expression − From drawing to painting and sculpture

Antoine Paul Camilleri is exhibiting a series of pyrographs and sculptures at Gallery 23 in Balzan.

The son of the late Antoine Camilleri, one of the most important pioneers of Maltese modernism, the younger Camilleri has taken the advice and artistic direction that his father relayed to him.

Pyrography is often regarded as craft, rather than art. However, the artist has elevated the technique to new heights in a series of works extolling the virtues of the Maltese landscape and its architecture.

Camilleri is also exhibiting a number of ceramic sculptures related to sports, such as weightlifters and pole vaulters. He is also exhibiting two sculptures representing his father.

Expression − From Drawing to Painting and Sculpture runs at Gallery 23, Triq Idmejda, Balzan, until October 27. Consult the venue’s Facebook page for more information.

That Other Place

Raphael Vella’s latest exhibition draws inspiration from Susan Sontag’s ‘citizens of that other place’ in her book, Illness as Metaphor. The other place refers to the kingdom of the ill, which she opposes to the kingdom of the well by exploring dehumanising myths and metaphors associated with the most infamous illnesses of modernity.

Over the years, artist, educator and researcher Vella has developed a unique and profound artistic language for voices and choices of resistance and a sense of agency and advocacy for ‘the other’ by making reference to institutions and systems that have become dysfunctional in a dystopian world – in a context in which illness itself no longer holds a form of truth with respect to the subject, as we all experienced it in recent times on a planetary scale.

Vella opens up a complex debate on representation to indicate a different plot of how we could imagine forms of curing in cultural, institutional and discursive spaces that are disruptive, unruly, intense, incompatible, contradictory or transforming.

That Other Place, curated by Maren Richter and hosted by Valletta Contemporary, is on until October 28. Log on to the venue’s Facebook page for opening hours and more information.

Also read this Times of Malta interview with the artist and curator.

Yells, Bells & Smells

Gemelli Art Gallery of Ta’ Qali is hosting a solo exhibition by Joan Zammit Cutajar.

Zammit Cutajar started her artistic journey with the late Esprit Barthet. She has since been greatly inspired and tutored by Debbie Caruana Dingli, who is curating the exhibition, and Tonio Mallia.

Yells, Bells & Smells is open until October 28. Consult the venue’s Facebook page for more information.

Soap to Think With

Norbert Francis Attard is holding a solo exhibition at Gozo Contemporary at 11, Triq Mongur, Għarb.

Curated by Ann Dingli, the exhibition features works made out of soap and soap boxes besides other materials to highlight links between massive events in national history that we might otherwise have not made.

A catalogue featuring critical essays by Paul Sant Cassia, Ann Dingli and Nikki Petroni and a prologue by Gabriel Zammit accompanies the exhibition, which is dedicated to Marisa Vella (1960-2020).

Soap to Think With runs until October 29. It can be viewed by appointment by calling on +356 7904 1051 or by sending an e-mail to norbert@norbertattard.com.

Read more about the exhibition in this Times of Malta interview with the artist and curator.

The Wind Blows… Waves in All Directions

Spazju Kreattiv is hosting an exhibition as part of the EuroPride 2023 programme. 

Using Maltese and Tunisian contexts as parallel bases for this exhibition, artists and activists from 11 Mediterranean countries reflect on the past, present and future, as well as their community and their own identities with running themes of resistance through activism, gender expression, sexual liberation and self exploration throughout the exhibitions.

The exhibition runs until October 29, is co-curated by Bobb Attard & Mohamed Ali Agrebi. For more information, click here.

Ego Sum: The Face of Homelessness

To raise awareness about homelessness and to debunk stereotypes around it, YMCA Malta has embarked on a multi-venue exhibition, partly funded by Art Council Malta.

Ego Sum means 'I Am' in Latin and refers to how someone perceives themselves. 

The exhibition aims to show that being homeless/roofless is but a mere chapter in somebody’s life; that homelessness/rooflessness does not define who that person is or may become. That homeless person on the street could in fact be a doctor, a parent, an artist, a chef, a footballer, a dreamer or a student. 

The walk-through exhibition depicts the artistic sketches of Rachel Bowman and the photography of Tyler Calleja Jackson. Both these Maltese artists were inspired by interviews conducted with 50 homeless individuals and, together with Sofiya Chuzhda and Gwennaelle Viard, created a final collage.

The exhibition is being held at the Società Dante Alighieri, 134 Old Bakery Street, Valletta throughout October. It is open Monday to Friday from 5 to 8pm and on Saturday from 10am to noon and from 5 to 8pm.

Read all about the exhibition here.

A Collective Solo

Decades of experimentation with several media as well as formal training have led Ethelbert Perini to create a collection of artworks that are being exhibited in what is his first solo exhibition.

The exhibition’s title, A Collective Solo, is an oxymoron that prepares the viewer primarily for a diversity in the themes that are being presented. However, the medium employed for each work is consistent throughout.

The technique that Perini uses is soft pastels on paper or board, and it is one that he discovered when exploring different media throughout his artistic journey. The starting point for each composition is always nature, Perini’s surroundings, as well as the human form and physiognomy.

A Collective Solo, curated by Charlene Vella, is being held throughout October in the Palm Court Lounge of The Phoenicia Malta.

Carbonaro

An exhibition looking at the outstanding oeuvre of Maltese artist Pawl Carbonaro is currently on at Il-Ħaġar - Heart of Gozo Museum.

Exploring his varied output through more than 60 paintings, among which are his abstracted landscapes and his sprawling abstracts as well as etchings, this exhibition serves to inform the art-loving public about the artistic trajectory, spanning decades, of this seminal Maltese contemporary artist who has been a mentor for a plethora of younger local artists. A publication accompanies the exhibition.

Carbonaro, curated by fellow artist Austin Camilleri, is on until November 5. Opening hours daily between 9am and 5pm. Admission is free.

Also read this Times of Malta preview.

Passage of Light

Seasoned artists and watercolourists Doranne Alden and Paul Caruana have come together in a joint exhibition, experimenting with the concept of 'light'.

Alden and Caruana are using watercolours to offer viewers a glimpse of the passage of light, the way a scene is transmuted by a certain colour in the sky, how this reflects on the shadows, the colours, the play of forms, the movement of wind, the restfulness of calm, the awe of sunset.

Passage of Light, curated by Marika Azzopardi and hosted by the Malta Society of Arts, Republic Street, Valletta, is on until November 7. Entrance is free.

Froġa / Farrago

Sebastian Tanti Burlò is exhibition a collection of oil paintings at Sliema’s R Gallery.

The artist is known for his political cartoons in the Times of Malta but here he swaps his pen for the brush while retaining his unapologetic social commentary, a flair for the absurd, satirical strokes and an underlying subversive narrative. Nature, journalism and the world’s issues are represented in this exhibition.

The tragicomical is investigated through an ideal romantisation of our country and how society has evolved, together with comments on world issues that trouble the world at large. 

The exhibition, hosted at R Gallery of 26, Tignè Street, Sliema, runs until December 3. For more information, read this Times of Malta review.

Emotions of the Spirit

A collection of 28 works by Ivan Grixti is open for visitors at Level O, SkyParks Business Centre, MIA, Luqa, until the end of December.

Works include several portraits, including a self-portrait, that of homeless men and of Pope Benedict. There are also abstracts and a depiction of war, among others.

Grixti has just returned from Poznan, Poland where he lived, studied and worked as an educator for the last 12 years. There he mastered the language and attended several art courses. He graduated B.A. (Hons) in Education: Technical Drawing and Design & Technology (2001-05) from the University of Malta and then attended a post-graduate course at the Fine Arts Institute Marie-Curie Sklodowska, Lublin, Poland (2021-2022).

In Malta, he studied under Anthony (Tony) Demicoli, Paul Vella Critien, Anthony (Anton) Calleja and Philip Agius. He has exhibited in Malta, Poland and France.

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OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Ancient Tea With New Glamour

The China Cultural Centre in Malta is hosting an exhibition under the theme of 'Tea for Harmony', co-organised with the Xi’an Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.

Featuring intriguing displays, artefacts, paintings and photographs from the city of Xi’an, this new exhibition opens a window into the enduring significance of tea in Chinese culture.

A Tang-style gilded tea set made of bronze gold and silver is the main attraction. Other exhibits include a batch of royal teaware items that were unearthed in 1987 at the ancient Buddhist Famen Temple in northwest Shaanxi and a modern reprinted thread-bound edition of The Classic of Tea, considered to be the first known monograph on tea in the world, written by Lu Yu between 760 CE and 762 CE, during the Tang Dynasty.

One may visit the exhibition, which will remain open until the end of this year at the China Cultural Centre, 173, Melita Street, Valletta. The centre is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to noon, and from 1.30 to 4pm. Entrance is free. Reservation is advised for group visits at events2023ccc@gmail.com.

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whatson@timesofmalta.com