Theatre
Il-Ħajja Xejn Cool ta’ Teenager Jismu Julian
St James Cavalier

It is not easy to get younger teenagers to warm up to a theatrical performance. The greater majority view such endeavours with the same suspicion and often derision which was the reserve of medieval clerics in the face of science.

A big bravo to all the cast for introducing many schoolchildren to theatre that is relevant, enjoyable and empowering

The irony is that contemporary teens would, of course, never admit they can be as close-minded as they say their elders are, because, let’s face it, if a secondary school student decides that something is “uncool” it can be very hard to convince them otherwise.

Enter Simone Spiteri’s latest script, the aptly titled Il-Ħajja Xejn Cool ta’ Teenager Jismu Julian, and the tables are turned. Commissioned for the ŻiguŻajg Arts Festival held last month in Valletta for children and teenagers, Spiteri’s script has helped to start filling the void of drama in Maltese for that most tricky of age groups.

The evening I went to watch the play, most of the house was filled with school groups who were clearly having a good time. On further enquiry, I found that the same could be said of the show’s first performance – where groups from boys’ schools, notoriously harder to please and certainly more likely to turn up their noses to an art they view contemptuously as the stronghold of “pepè, kesħin, nerds u pufti” (toffs, stuck-up kids, nerds and pansies) were really connecting to the content and enjoying themselves immensely. And this is the mark of good theatre.

A production which can reach out to different sub-cultures, social classes, interest groups and gender boundaries is one which deserves much praise.

What made this piece of theatre work so well was the relevance that it had to the particular world and lifestyle of younger teenagers. The dialogue was easy on the ear and contained the daily jargon and cultural references which are used by Maltese students today. Moreover, it dealt with themes which matter to the target audience.

Julian, a fourth-former whose previously ideal academic and behavioural track record has been marred by the ever-looming shadow of his parents’ separation, is becoming a rebel and a recluse at once.

His performance and behaviour suffer at school and his social life also takes a plunge. The only form of release he has is when he loses himself in the fantasy world of an online RPG under the guise of his avatar alter ego, Justin Artio.

Unlike his real-life self, Justin Artio is everything Julian is not – fearless, daring, loyal, respected and definitely cool. It is the perfect recipe for 21st-century digital machismo.

Kurt Castillo made a credible and relatable Julian, whose teenage angst was genuine and endearing. Castillo has transitioned very well from television to acting for theatre, and his dynamic with Stephanie Bugeja as his mother Pauline, as well as Elaine Saliba as classmate and fellow outcast Kelly, was great to watch.

Both Bugeja and Saliba had other minor roles to play and their ability to double so convincingly without appearing samey was commendable. I particularly enjoyed Saliba’s Kelly – the new girl branded a “nerd” who is not afraid of standing up for herself.

Bugeja’s Mother differed from her interpret-ation as Jessica – Julian’s crush and the hot girl in the ‘cool gang’ at school – a gang which at one point accepts him and later rejects him for not complying with its requirements.

Mark Mifsud, as Malcolm, Julian’s frenemy/ nemesis at school, made a good bully of the manipulative kind, while Claudio Carta, who also played his sidekick Steve, made a greater impact in his primary role as the headmaster, Mr Attard. These last three gave solid performances which showcased their versatility. Coupled with director Jean Marc Cafa’s solid and inventive direction, the entire production was sweet without being sentimental.

There was appropriate use of contemporary pop music, Facebook messaging and text messaging; the latter two were projected on two large TV screens, which were at times hard to read given that I no longer have the eyesight I had as a teenager.

Clever use of space and an adaptable, minimal set designed by Pierre Portelli made for quick scene changes and added cohesion.

In the shifts between the reality of his life at school and at home, Julian realises that he has to make plenty of decisions and that whatever he does will leave someone or other displeased or upset.

Torn between everybody and finding his rising confusion as to what he should do to please his parents and hopefully lead them to reconcile, while attempting to establish his personal identity at school, Julian retreats to the safety of his fantasy world as Justin Artio, until even that starts slipping away due to his responsibilities within the real world.

Ultimately, he discovers that hiding behind a fictional self is not enough to help one get through life and that taking the bull by the horns and facing up to one’s real-life fears, accepting who one is and dealing with the choices one makes without blaming others for it, is the real height of ‘cool’.

A big bravo to all the cast for introducing many schoolchildren to theatre that is relevant, enjoyable and empowering.