THEATRE
VII (Sette)
Fort St Elmo
I have not been this enthusiastic about a local production in a very long time. Teatru Malta have got the formula for this particular production right – so right that they got The New Victorians, the highly-talented sisters Philippa Cassar and Bettina Muchmore, to compose and direct a stunning venture in Maltese theatre.
The centenary celebration of the events running up to the Sette Giugno incidents and their aftermath was captured in a stunningly effective production, VII (Sette), which is incontestable proof that The New Victorians deserved their award as Artists of the Year 2019, granted by the Malta Arts Council.
This incredibly professional, passionate and incisive multidisciplinary piece of theatre has the wow factor that our country so desperately needs.
VII is Malta’s answer to Hamilton, and the cast and production team that Teatru Malta have assembled is incredibly talented.
Glasgow-based scriptwriter Erin Carter teamed up with Simon Bartolo to create a script that reflects the language question – at the time a burning political issue. Written in both English and Maltese, with a dash of Italian, the script also uses language to highlight the opposing factions at loggerheads with each other.
At a time of much-desired peace following World War I, Malta was ironically suffering from an economic slump and subsequent price inflation that peace on a naval base can bring. Our luck was always tied to war.
The New Victorians directed the staging of their own original compositions as well as the choreography.
The effective costumes, ranging from the simple garb of the common people to the more sumptuous ones worn by the merchant class, the clergy and the ruling British government, were designed by Luke Azzopardi, who kept their functionality without skimping on a certain line and look.
Romualdo Moretti has long established himself as one of the island’s leading set designers, and his exaggeratedly raked stage made for an unusual performance space that reflected the people’s struggle against the solid and imposing backdrop of Fort St Elmo’s parade ground.
With input from artistic consultant Simon Sharkey, VII was already set to be a solid, professional performance, but the show was bound to succeed with the performing ensemble’s triple-treat talents of the sheer physicality of the dance and movement involved in the complex blocking; the various song genres and styles in the musical numbers; and the impassioned and very sensitively studied characterisation.
It is one of the most professional pieces of work done locally that I have seen in a very long time.
Jeremy Grech’s confident Multiplier acted as narrator and introduced the audience to a cast of diverse characters.
Several performances stood out. Grech was a strong lead matched by Nicola Azzopardi’s Neriku Mizzi and her powerful Nurse, while Chris Scicluna made an excellent Cassar Torregiani to Becky Camilleri’s Francia. Jacob Piccinino’s Karmenu Abela and Mgr Panzavecchia were counterbalanced incredibly well by Lee-N Abela as Abela’s wife and as Caruana Gatto.
This incredibly professional, passionate and incisive multidisciplinary piece of theatre has the wow factor that our country so desperately needs
Sandie Von Brockdorff ably played Ġużè Bajada’s strong-willed sister, as well as Colonel Francia’s concerned servant and Prime Minister Lloyd George – the last of the Maltese cast and proof that our new generation of young actors are making very admirable professional strides.
The three British members of the cast, were well-cast too, with Leo Graham playing King George and Lieutenant Shields, Matthew Hunt as Governor Plumer, Hunter Blaire and Augusto Bartolo and Andrew Sowery as the British soldier killed in the skirmish which saw Lorenzo Dyer, Karmenu Abela, Ġużè Bajada and Manwel Attard shot dead by the British soldiers.
The Maltese-British tensions and the subsequent Italian sympathisers led to a desire for self-rule in Maltese affairs, and this extraordinarily powerful production captures these too.
VII is a passionate, powerful and gripping production which makes for an unmissable theatre experience. My only disappointment is that it is not running for the entire summer, as it undoubtedly deserves to.
This is a show to watch over and over – to thoroughly enjoy its nuanced historical appraisal, its strong characters and well-presented plot line, but most importantly to savour the sheer talent of everybody involved in a glorious onslaught of your artistic sensibilities.
This is a production which enriches the audience and leaves them with that rare electrified feeling of satisfaction. Kudos to all involved. Go and watch it and be blown away.
VII (Sette) is being staged at Fort St Elmo, Valletta, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday at 9pm. Tickets may be obtained from https://www.kultura.mt/en/events/vii-sette-Mzc2