The first theatrical production of the COVID-19 era was streamed... but does it take away from the magic of theatre? Vanessa Conneely reports.

Theatre was literally transported into Malta’s living rooms last weekend through the first streamed online production as auditoriums remain shut amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mill-Kċina ta’ Connor, a play inspired by COVID-19, was a one-man show starring actor Malcolm Galea and directed by Tyrone Grima. It had no audience members sitting close to the actors, (instead most of those watching were at home sipping wine), there were no light effects... and the actor’s kitchen doubled up as the stage.

The 30-minute show was performed live on Zoom last weekend to an online audience of around 60 to 70 people on two nights.

Other artists have similarly tried to continue to ply their trade online but this was the first time an original script was devised for an online audience in Malta.

Costs to stage Tyrone’s script were low which meant tickets cost just €3. It was designed specifically to be watched on a screen. Professional lighting and sound equipment was set up in Malcolm’s kitchen beforehand and the actor could watch himself on a monitor so as not to step out of shot.

“It was like acting into a mirror. But it was easier, because I couldn’t see the audience so I wasn’t distracted,” Malcolm said. Audience members for opening night included members of Malta’s theatre community, who were anxious to see the experiment in action and hopeful it can get the industry up and running again, albeit in a diferent format.

The audience members were not muted for opening night but the organisers soon realised it posed more distractions.

“At first we thought it would be good to hear them laughing and the interaction would be similar to a real theatre. But about 10 minutes into the first show, someone’s grandfather clock chimed and it confused the audience as they didn’t know if it was part of the performance, so we had to mute them. Maybe in the future, a company might develop a theatre-specific software, so that this can be avoided.”

Production manager Elaine Falzon said the production provided the opportunity to explore another way of presenting new creative work where audiences could watch a live original performance on a conferencing system.

People have screen fatigue right now, so it can be hard to get them to engage in a full show

“This was done with the aim of testing sustainable approaches and addressing all the challenges when deciding to venture into the digital world.”

Creative producer and event manager Annalisa Schembri is also trying to adapt.

The 36-year-old from Żurrieq had a packed year of national and international events lined up, including a United Nations sustainability-development festival in Bonn. Like many artists, Annalisa struggled as she saw one job after the other cancelled in March.

She describes the first few weeks as a mourning period.

But slowly, she managed to change her attitude and is now taking part in multiple online conferences and discussions with members of the arts community abroad, to share ideas and try to get the industry back on track.

“There is a lot of talk about hybrid and satellite productions taking place. But there is not enough data supporting these methods to see if they would actually work.”

Studies in the US are looking into measures which could be put in place to encourage people back to spaces such as cinemas and theatres.

She also explains that when it comes to a live performance, the experience is different for both the actors and the audience.

“People have screen fatigue right now, so it can be hard to get them to engage in a full show.”

The industry as a whole is deciding whether it’s better to charge people a small fee so they will commit to the performance and not virtually walk out half way through.

“I know of one production company in the UK that was able to strike a good balance and kept its production costs low because it didn’t have the usual fees that go with a play, which meant it could charge cheaper ticket prices.”

So how is this inspiring Annalisa when it comes to future productions in Malta?

She says she is looking into several ways of working with artists to keep the enthusiasm going. One idea includes actors rehearsing their lines virtually, so they are not starting out cold when they are eventually allowed to be together again.

She also likes the idea of mailing out ‘kits’ to audience members who buy tickets to an online performance, so they can be more involved in the show.

However, Annalisa says she is disappointed by the situation in Malta and feels the authorities are lagging behind when it comes to supporting her industry.

“While I appreciate the Arts Council is trying to help, the simple fact is – when compared to other countries – Malta does not see the creative community as a strong pillar of the economy.”