Two years, one pandemic and a partial cast overhaul later, Masquerade theatre company will present Matilda the Musical for its debut in Malta.

It was March 2020 – days after the first COVID-19 case was reported in Malta and a month away from premiere night – that established theatre director Anthony Bezzina reluctantly decided to postpone Matilda the Musical.

The co-founder of theatre company Masquerade Malta was eager to bring the acclaimed production to the local stage. With rehearsals in full swing, everything was coming together after months of hard work and preparation – until the pandemic hit.

“When I broke the news to the cast, there was a lot of disappointment and it felt like disaster had struck,” Bezzina shares. “Then, as an optimist, I soon realised I needed to pick myself up and move on.”

At last, the long-awaited show can now go on, but preparing it the second time round brought a fresh set of challenges for Bezzina. Unsurprisingly, a number of the young stars outgrew their part. Little girls shot up and boys’ voices broke, meaning they could no longer hit the same notes. Two adults in leading roles became unavailable and needed to be replaced.

Opening up about the experience of directing amid all the uncertainty, Bezzina says, “There are good days and bad days, but we take each challenge as it comes. All things being equal, I feel good about the production, but now I just want it to happen. Although I’m an optimist, I am also a realist, and as I often remind the team – the show isn’t over until it’s actually over.”

Making up a brilliant cast are young Leah Grech, Michela Caruana and Michela Deguara sharing the title role, together with Rachel Fabri, Katherine Brown, Alan Paris, Thomas Camilleri, Damian Buhagiar, Sean Borg, Sarah Micallef Muscat and Francesco Nicodeme. A strong creative team backs Bezzina, including musical director Kris Spiteri, choreographer Ewan Jones (assisted locally by Valerie Burke), set designer Romualdo Moretti and costume designer Ernest Camilleri.

Dahl is a remarkable storyteller who gives power to the young child

Based on the beloved story by Roald Dahl, Matilda the Musical is a multi-award-winning masterpiece written by Dennis Kelly with original songs by Tim Minchin. Although Bezzina has directed scores of other musicals before, he describes Matilda as “a whole different animal”.

Believing it to be at the top of the pile for any director, and one he could not wait to cross off his own bucket list, Bezzina set out to obtain the European professional licence to stage the musical in Malta, making it one of the first European countries to host the internationally coveted production.

As for the story itself, Bezzina praises the celebrated Roald Dahl’s dark side that makes his writing as palatable to adults as it is to children. “Dahl is a remarkable storyteller who gives power to the young child, in a sobering reminder to adults that the young will one day grow up, so they deserve to be respected. What you sow is what you reap.”

Theatre director Anthony Bezzina

The imaginative tale of a young girl who uses her supreme brainpower in the face of adversity, Matilda is a story for all ages. “It is a feel-good show but one that is deep and full of substance, with an excellent message. There are certain emotions that appeal to adults, and it is always good for us to revisit childhood through the eyes of children themselves.”

In line with the Masquerade ethos of excellence, Bezzina holds the young stars to high standards, telling them, “I don’t want people to go away saying how cute you are, but how good you are”. There is no doubt that audiences will be thinking both.

With the performing arts finally bouncing back after suffering an immense blow, Bezzina urges the public to return to the theatre, ready to enjoy one of the best possible forms of entertainment the industry has to offer.

Matilda The Musical opens at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, at 7.30pm on Saturday, April 16, with further performances throughout April; on Sunday 17 at 4pm, Monday 18 at 7.30pm, Friday 22 at 7.30pm, Saturday 23 at 7.30pm, Sunday 24 at 10am and 3pm, Friday 29 at 8pm and Saturday 30 at 3pm and 8pm. Booking is open at www.showshappening.com. Further information is online at www.masquerademalta.com. This project is supported by Arts Council Malta and Visit Malta.