Paul Xuereb finds that Il-ħajja Xejn Cool ta’ Teenager Jismu Julian is more than a play for teenagers.

This year’s ŻiguŻajg Festival for young people was, I gather, a huge success. My comments relate to the only show I saw, Simone Spiteri’s Il-ħajja Xejn Cool ta’ Teenager Jismu Julian.

Kurt Castillo, a young actor who has already made his mark, especially in last season’s The Bacchae, is an arresting figure as Julian

This attractive and well-constructed play is aimed largely at a teenage audience, though I feel sure, judging by my own experience, that an audience of much older people would enjoy it at least as much as teenagers. It is a breath of fresh air.

Like the youthful-sounding title of the play, the direction by Jean-Mark Cafà brings out the author’s aim of presenting the fears and apprehensions of Julian, a 15-year-old student at San Clemente college, as his life is upset by the break-up of his parents’ marriage, coupled with his mother Pauline’s acquisition of a boyfriend.

Then there’s the bullying he is suffering at school by a small gang called Dragunari, led by a physically bigger and unpleasant boy called Malcolm. The production is physically dominated by the social networks so apparently necessary today.

Julian is not just a regular Facebook user but an addict of an electronic game in which he, the hero, here called Justin, finds himself caught in the deadly attacks of the evil Lord Chaos on the kingdom of San Clemente, where Justin lives.

We are introduced to the real Julian through his webpage on Facebook, shown to us on a large screen, and we meet Julian as Justin, as he is trundled round the stage on a movable platform propelled by mysterious figures in hooded capes.

We follow Julian’s sullen reactions to being disciplined by the head of school; his refusal to co-operate with the counsellor delegated to see what is wrong with him; his hostility to his mother who, though worried about him, is determined to maintain her new relationship.

We see his suspicions when Malcolm persuades him to join the gang, enabling him to enjoy the favours of the sexy Jessica, and his reactions when Malcolm tries to blackmail him into committing an act involving the destruction of examination records.

Julian’s salvation comes through his relationship, developing from hostility to a budding affection, with his school friend Kelly. She saves him from surrendering to Lord Chaos as he is about to burn examination papers in anger, after learning that Malcolm is now “in a relationship” with Jessica.

Finally, when his mother, in an earnest scene, lets him know that parents must be allowed to break rules if they desperately need it for their happiness, Julian is definitely redeemed. The life he will now lead is symbolised when he gauchely accepts Kelly’s invitation to go round the corner and have a milkshake with her.

The plot develops swiftly, but never hurriedly, under Cafà’s unfussy and always effective direction. There is much doubling of parts and though I found one bit of doubling temporarily confusing, the additional parts are assigned with care.

For instance, Stephanie Bugeja plays Pauline, Julian’s mother and the minor part of Jessica, the girl Julian fancies. This young actress brought a certain maturity to Pauline and delivered her big speech to her son with controlled emotion.

Kurt Castillo, a young actor who has already made his mark, especially in last season’s The Bacchae, is an arresting figure as Julian. He is a protagonist who holds one’s attention every minute of the performance.