This February, the Shrinking Violets return with the Malta premiere of Matthew Seager’s In Other Words, starring Denise Mulholland and Jes Camilleri. Laura Bonnici chats with director CHIARA HYZLER to find out more.
The popular theatre collective the Shrinking Violets – the brainchild of leading practitioners Chiara Hyzler, Denise Mulholland, Maria Buckle, Jo Caruana and Cathy Lawlor – has already received critical acclaim for its productions of Ernest and the Pale Moon by Oliver Lansley in October 2017, Us/Them by Carly Wijs in October 2018 and Jamboy during ŻiguŻajg Festival 2019.
After a three-year hiatus, the Violets have returned with another premiere for Malta.
Heading to the Theatre Next Door this February, Matthew Seager’s In Other Words is a bittersweet love story starring Mulholland and Jes Camilleri, directed by Hyzler.
“We are always excited to discover scripts that are relevant and poignant, that we can do something fresh with,” says Hyzler.
“This play encapsulates all that – and the story we are telling is an important one.”
Connected by the music of Frank Sinatra, it follows Arthur and Jane, whose love story has blossomed since they first met – or ‘the incident’, as they call it now. But times, and their minds, have changed.
Taking an intimate, humorous and deeply moving journey in and out of their memories of married life, In Other Words explores the cruelty of Alzheimer’s disease and the transformative power of music in our lives.
“I love their love for each other,” Hyzler goes on.
“They keep their relationship playful and fresh. They dance, laugh and mock each other, and as an audience, we enjoy those moments. For them, music has always brought them together – particularly Frank Sinatra’s music.”
The play also spotlights the challenging and courageous journey of those whose loved ones live with Alzheimer’s.
“I admire Jane and how she transforms her life to be at his side every step of the way,” she reveals.
The play also spotlights the challenging and courageous journey of those whose loved ones live with Alzheimer’s
“This character sheds light on the experience of families who live with someone with dementia and how love is holding them together. That never goes.”
Working in collaboration with The Malta Dementia Society to ensure a constant flow of accurate information, the show’s staging also makes use of original soundscapes by Matteo Depares to help depict life with Alzheimer’s.
“We have worked closely with Matteo to create a variety of soundscapes that will add beauty and emotion to the piece,” explains Hyzler.
“I love those moments when we are inside Arthur’s head. Matteo has created an amazing aural representation of what Arthur is going through. It is difficult to understand
what people with dementia experience and what the world looks like for them, so these soundscapes help us to capture and communicate what he is feeling.”
Meanwhile, In Other Words also marks the highly anticipated return to the stage for top performer Denise Mulholland, portraying Jane alongside Camilleri’s Arthur.
“I consider it quite an honour to work with Denise and Jes,” Hyzler concludes.
“Although we are still at the beginning stages, we are on the same page with where we want to take this piece. They are both such strong performers and already connect so well with their characters. This will be a theatre experience that will stick with you for a while.”
The Shrinking Violets production of In Other Words by Matthew Seager will play at The Theatre Next Door, Magħtab, on February 3-5 and 10-12. Tickets are available at https://tnd.com.mt/. This production is supported by Theatre Next Door.