With Friends Like These Weekender review

The future for three friends

With Friends Like These, song and dance

by Jo Ann Vassallo

Many times, when more than one person wants the same thing they become competitors. The entertainment business is a hard path to follow and a highly competitive one. However, Rachel Fabri, Jean Marc Agius Cafà and Matthew Anastasi claim that it is through friendship and not competition that things become easier. This showcase of music was in fact organised as their last venture before they travel together to the UK to study at the GSA Conservatoire, their stepping stone to success. Whether they will become world famous or not is yet to be seen but one thing's for sure - they intend to support each other throughout.

Friends Like These was an evening of music and dance together with drama. It was a message of friendship through the adaptation of various songs to their present real life situation. Supported by the ingenious script of Coryse Borg and the voice of Edward Mercieca together with various established actors and actresses, the trio pondered the meaning of life, friendship and what the future holds for them.Most of the first part of the show, which lasted a comfortable 45 minutes (thus not making the audience restless), was a variety of songs about the different kinds of friendship and the different things friendship may lead to. Can You Feel the Love Tonight? was the song of reconciliation for three friends after a tiff. Their voices worked well together with Ms Fabri's singing talent somewhat standing out. The First Time dealt with two friends becoming lovers with a song sweet and humourous where Ms Fabri and Mr Anastasi mirrored each other in a duet.

Mr Agius Cafà's solo, From This Moment, was challenging for his voice but he managed it well and without hesitation. Forget About the Boy started with Ms Fabri singing about deluded love and lacked some energy at first. The piece picked up when Ms Borg and Elaine Camilleri joined in and the choreography became more upbeat. Emma Loftus, the choreographer, did a good job in keeping the steps simple but energetic with good use of brooms as props. In the song about the jealous lover, Ms Borg played the part of the broken hearted while Mr Agius Cafà and Ms Fabri danced a ballet duet perfectly and passionately. This was not an easy task considering the use of a bench as their dance floor. Mr Anastasi's solo was touching - he sang Breeze Off The River in which he played the part of the parent trying to explain the wonders of parenthood.

Part Two of the musical showcase was highly engaging. The script dealt with the personal challenge that awaits these three young artistes. They started off by giving us a taste of their future dream coming true: Reciting their speech at the Oscars. This included a great thank you to their friends which triggered a memory of where it all started. They then took us back to the root of it all, that is, the MADC clan who coached them, supported them and in their version of the Money Song collected funds to send them abroad. This number featured Mr Mercieca, Ms Borg, Faye and Alan Paris and Ms Camilleri giving a hand in the most original and funny sort of way.

Ms Fabri then reached her peak in Climbing Uphill, a song about her life so full of auditions.Here she portrayed herself as any normal girl with a dream who feels fatter and uglier and also less talented then the other 400 girls she sees around her in search of her same dream. We appreciated her genuine character in this piece coupled with the absurdity of this talented girl singing "I suck, I suuuck, I suck, I suuuuck", at the top of her beautiful voice - side-splitting! Under Pressure was the epitome of the trio's everyday stress since choosing such a complicated career and was equally well interpreted in all three areas - song, dance and mime. Electricity was Mr Agius Cafà's forte where not only did he sing brilliantly but also danced like a true professional. Here we're talking classical ballet, pirouettes and all! Mr Anastasi also went solo in the energetic rock and roll piece Moving Too Fast and was once again successful in his interpretation.

Another rather striking number was the song from Little Shop of Horrors - Skid Row. The three friends explore the possibility of a future without their dream coming true and the possibility of having to do other things to make ends meet. Mr Agius Cafà quickly sees the positive side by assuring his friends: "It will happen", however more humour fills the air as he does not seem so convinced himself about his statement.

I must say I really enjoyed myself at this performance and it was a very heart warming start to an evening. It showed me that people feel down and think of giving up but really no matter what your goal is having good friends can make a big difference. There was a positive aura at the theatre in the round that evening and lots of talent to get the message through.

It's Over...

So... 'With Friends Like These' is over. After all the hassle and stress of co-producing, script-writing and performing, I feel thoroughly drained! But also a bit lost. Even though I complained a bit (yep, my name is Coryse and I'm a complainer!), I must admit that secretly I loved almost every minute. I loved writing the script with a passion - it was so cool hearing the audience laugh at MY writing! I loved producing and organising (and bossing people around of course hehe!). I loved, loved, loved performing with Matthew, Jean, Rachel and Elaine, especially in the Avenue Q songs. I loved singing my solo.

I was so proud of all of us for putting up this show against the odds. What with the permits and the panic and the arguments etc, we still managed to pull off a great show. Kudos also goes to the fabulous backstage crew - Petals, Chris, Benji, Daniel (for a while anyway!) and Stiv. And Wes and Bekki. And Gillian, Ben and Emma. And all those who helped in any way. And, of course, Edward, Faye and Alan who had such brilliant cameos.

And mainly to Rejxi, Matt and Jean who I think thoroughly deserved the standing ovation on Sunday. I'm going to miss you guys... make us proud!

With Friends Like These

So MND is over and it was a blast - except for me getting tonsilitis with 103 fever, missing tech and dress rehearsals and being sick as a dog backstage during the first performance. Also, my voice sounded totally crap on the first night... and it was the night the Sunday Times critic came to watch. Just my luck! At least he blamed the horrible sound in the microphone, how sweet! The Sunday performance was AMAZING, with a packed audience and people standing up to watch. And I got to sing 'Dream a Little Dream of Me', which came out so well, especially on the Sunday. I think it's the first time I felt confident with my voice. I put it all down to the singing lessons I have been going to for the past month (yay Gillian!).

Anyway, on to the next one..

Three young local performers - Matthew Anastasi, Jean Marc Agius Cafà and Rachel Fabri - will soon be leaving Malta to study at the prestigious GSA Conservatoire in the UK which is validated by the University of Surrey, accredited by the National Council for Drama Training and approved by Trinity College, London.

Before they leave however, they are to wow audiences at St James Cavalier with a showcase of song and dance called ‘With Friends Like These’ from the 23rd to the 26th of August.

The trio - joined by Edward Mercieca, Elaine Camilleri, Alan Paris, Faye Paris and moi, with Geoffrey Tanti on piano and Jason Fabri on percussion - will perform their way through tunes from a number of musicals, including ‘Avenue Q’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’, ‘The Lion King’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Wicked’.

The script for ‘With Friends Like These’ was written by erm.. me, and will be directed by Wesley Ellul, with choreography by Emma Loftus. ‘With Friends Like These’ is sponsored by the Bank of Valletta.

Tickets for ‘With Friends Like These’ may be purchased from the St James Cavalier Booking Office in Valletta, tel. no: 21 223200 and email: boxoffice@sjcav.org. More information on www.sjcav.org.

MND poster

A Midsummer Nights' Dream

On to the next play... it promises to be a lot of fun (and we get to wear some truly outrageous costumes hehe!) so here goes:

A Midsummer Night's Dream by the MADC; Royal Opera House, Valletta; 25 - 29 July 2007 (excl 26)

The MADC presents one of William Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, for the first time at the Old Opera House Ruins in Valletta, as part of the Malta Arts Festival.

The concept of this magical production by director Chris Gatt, with Denise Mulholland, is set to amaze and take the breath away of the audience.

The cast includes Nerissa Pace as Helena, Jean Marc Agius Cafà as Lysander, Matthew Gatt as Demetrius, Faye Paris as Hermia, Edward Mercieca as Bottom, Pia Zammit as Titania, Manuel Cauchi as Thesues/Oberon, Isabella Attard as Puck and Coryse Borg as Hippolyta, as well as Alan Montanaro, Paula Fleri Soler, Wesley Ellul, David Ellul Mercer, Martin Azzopardi and an all-singing, all-dancing band of fairies.Original music is by Alexandra Vella Gregory while choreography is by Emma Loftus.

More information may be obtained from website: www.madc.biz and email: bookings@madc.com. Tickets may be purchased from www.maltaticket.com, Agenda Bookshops, Exotique, Newskiosk and Bookends.

Shucks and *simper*!

Pick 'n' mix

Showtime rounds up local productions in the past theatre season

The Times of Malta, 1st June 2007

The past theatre season has been a somewhat mixed one. We have had the excellent, the average and the downright dreadful and all in the space of six and a half months. In this issue we'll look at productions by local companies.There have been some very good productions by the more established companies - plus the occasional turkey. But it has been good to note that the exorbitant cost of staging theatre in Malta has not yet dissuaded a few new companies from putting on some very laudable stuff.

Of the mainstream companies the MADC had a rather mixed season. Their early output was dominated by the One-Act-Play Festival at the MADC Clubroom Theatre. This was deemed very successful and - as is usually the case - it gave an opportunity for young, talented people to show what they could do. For the record it was won by 4.48 Psychosis, directed by Tony Attard.

The MADC panto at the Manoel Theatre this season was Hercules - The Panto. And... well, it never really got off the ground. After the rather embarrassing Sleeping Beauty of the previous year, we were promised a massive improvement. Sadly, apart from Ernest Camilleri's costumes, which were sensational, this panto was every bit as average as that of the previous year. Moving swiftly on to the theatre-in-the-round at St James and the MADC production of the comedy thriller Audacity, by Simon Mawdesley. This provided a directorial debut for Coryse Borg. And a pretty good fist she made of it too. It can be considered one of the successes of the MADC season.

Their production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Company at the Manoel Theatre, directed by Denise Mulholland with Rosetta Debatista as musical director, was also a success. Disliked by some, who baulked at its lack of a definable story line and unfamiliar musical numbers, it nevertheless broke new ground and was thoroughly enjoyed by the vast majority of its audience. Mikhail Basmadjan, in the pivotal role of Bobby was superb... as were Charlotte Grech, Wesley Ellul, Katherine Brown, Alan Montanaro and Julie James in supporting roles. At the end of March the MADC produced the Yasmina Reza play Life x Three, also at the Manoel Theatre. This left many people in the audience puzzled by its bizarre construction. However, the cast of four all gave good accounts of themselves.

At the time of writing, the MADC summer Shakespeare production - A Midsummer Night's Dream - is to be directed by Chris Gatt and to be staged, for the first time, in the Opera House ruins. Let's hope they do something about the unacceptable seating arrangements at that particular venue beforehand.

Anthony and Veronica Bezzina's production company Masquerade has, quite rightly, become established as one of the leading companies in Malta. They had a very good season, starting with a stunning production of Edward Albee's highly controversial play The Goat. Directed by Tony Bezzina and staged at St James last November, this was notable for brilliant performances by Manuel Cauchi, Isabel Ripard and from a highly promising young actor Jean Marc Agius.

Next up for Masquerade was the highly ambitious staging of Richard O Brien's cult musical The Rocky Horror Show. This was put on in the vast tent at Ta' Qali, which proved the ideal venue for a show that can cause a fair bit of mayhem and mess. Malcolm Galea made an excellent job of the part of the narrator and it was good to see Chris Dingli back here and working! The only real downer was the lacklustre performance of Matthew Simpson as a rather colourless Frank 'n' Furter.

Masquerade scored another huge success at the end of April, this time at The Manoel Theatre, when they brought the English musical show Beyond The Barricade back for a stunning three-night performance.

Adrian Buckle and Conrad Buttigieg's company Unifaun is also becoming established as a successful mainstream company. This season they were responsible for two excellent productions, both at St James. Mark Ravenhill's play Some Explicit Polaroids, directed by Chris Gatt, was spiky fare, with Coryse Borg giving the performance of her life.

Earlier this year in February, they produced Howard Brenton's Paul. Again directed by Chris Gatt, this play shocked quite a few people with its interesting interpretation of the scriptures.It was beautifully acted by Manuel Cauchi, Kevin Drake and a special mention for Stefan Cachia Zammit.Mario Micallef's company Talenti veered away from Shakespeare in Maltese this season. Instead in January Talenti produced a new staging of L-Impotenti, which went down very well with audiences at the Manoel. Talenti also presented L-Imfietah, by Mario Micallef and Zepp Camilleri at St James in March, in which Mr Micallef again played multiple roles.

There are some who believe that the relative decline of Maleth in recent years has coincided with its decision to present plays in English. We wouldn't go so far as to endorse that assessment, but they did have a rather mixed season. Of the newer companies Curtain Call got off to a very promising start with Simone Ellul's direction of David Mamet's all-girl play Boston Marriage. This was well served with excellent performances by Nanette Brimmer, Monica Attard and Rachel Darmanin Demajo.

It was good to see Actinghouse back producing again. However, their production of Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire at the MITP Theatre lacked the atmosphere essential for that great play. But it did contain an excellent central performance from Irene Christ.

The all-female company Du also staged a couple of productions at the MITP Theatre. They are beginning to establish themselves on the scene, which - considering the fact that they are a talented bunch - can only be a good thing.

So what does Showtime think were the three outstanding local productions of the 2006/2007 season? In no particular order: Masquerade's The Goat, Unifaun's Some Explicit Polaroids and Curtain Call's Boston Marriage. Stellar performances of the season came from Nanette Brimmer, Monica Attard and Rachel Darmanin Demajo in Boston Marriage, Isabel Warrington in The Goat and a special mention for Coryse Borg, who was absolutely amazing in Some Explicit Polaroids. As for male actors, there was Manuel Cauchi (naturally) both in The Goat and Paul, Kevin Drake and Stefan Cachia Zammit in Paul and Mikhail Basmadjan in Company. And finally Mario Micallef in L-Imfietah.

Things to do in London when you're Broke

I've been back from London for over 2 weeks and have been so busy with friends & work - not to mention an impromptu rehearsal-less performance at St James with Pia last night (which went down very well, thanks for asking and which I shall blog about on another occasion) - that I have neglect my poor bloggy-woggy. So here is an article I wrote for the Sunday Times Travel supplement which appeared yesterday about visiting London on the cheap!

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In the past couple of months, circumstances have decreed that I travel to London twice in quick succession. Now, I love London. I adore the quirky lifestyle of the Londoners. I love the West End, where the stars I have seen many times on TV ply their trade in the best plays and musicals. I love popping in to Boots to stock up on all the beauty stuff we don’t get here. I love that I can get practically anywhere by using my Oyster travel card and hopping on an underground train or bus.

But let’s face it, London is expensive. Every time I go there, I budget for, say, a week… and proceed to blow it all in a day or two. But now, I was determined to stick to my budget. And here is how I did it, while managing to have an absolutely brilliant time anyway.

This is basically ‘A Guide to London on a Shoestring Budget… while still doing all the things you want to do and more’!

Enjoy Theatreland

First off, there is no way I am going to London and not watching any shows. In the past two trips alone, I went to the theatre eight times. I found that one good way to enjoy as many shows while in London is to plan ahead. First of all, I found the two shows that I was determined not to miss – Avenue Q and Equus and I booked them online through Ticketmaster - www.ticketmaster.com.uk - and Delfont Macintosh Theatre - www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk - respectively. That way I knew that, whatever happened, I would be watching the two shows I was determined not to miss.

Then once in London, there were a number of ways to book the other shows I wanted to watch, such as Wicked, Little Shop of Horrors and Spamalot. Go to the half-price booth in Leicester Square and see if they have any cheap tickets for that day. Or pop in to the fabulous Apple Store in Regent Street where you can use computers for free, go into www.lastminute.com and find a bargain, such as theatre tickets for £10.

If you can only afford to watch one show, I would advise watching Avenue Q if you have a good sense of humour. It is my new favourite musical ever!

Wicked is a fun, big glorious show with amazing music; while Spamalot is a must-see for any Monty Python fan, and features the woman with possibly the most amazing voice in the world (it spans four octaves) Hannah Waddingham. Little Shop of Horrors is a hoot and the current cast includes impressionist Alistair McGowan as Orin Scrivello and Sheridan Smith (Janet from the hilarious BBC sitcom ‘Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps’) as Audrey.

As everybody knows by now, Equus stars Daniel Radcliffe, better known as Harry Potter, in a rather, erm, compromising position during one particular scene. Having watched the play with him and the great actor Richard Griffiths in the leading roles, I can say that this play is so much more than just that one scene. It is a brilliant play with a brilliant cast, and the set by John Napier is just amazing. Go and watch it if you can.

Eat cheaply

Everybody has to eat; not everyone can afford to eat at The Ivy (although you can look at it from the outside… more on that later). So, look out for special offers at various places. For example, when I was in London, Boots had a great ‘Meal Deal’ offer where you could choose a sandwich, salad or sushi plate, pair it with a drink and top it off with a snack, piece of fruit or packet of crisps – all for £3.30. Of course, if you’ve been traipsing around the shops all morning and are starving, the trick is to choose the largest and most filling sandwich, the most expensive drink and the most sugary dessert… and voila, you’ve saved two or three quid and have a full tum.

Look out for similar offers in fast-food outlets and do try to choose the healthier option at least a couple of times!

Shop till you drop

One word - Primark. This is a fabulous clothing store which is dirt-cheap. The secret is to plough through the stuff until you find a gem such as summer dresses for £10, jeans for £8, bikinis for £2 or a pair of men’s trousers for £4. Even better is their selection of bags, shoes and accessories. Personally, I love their socks! I have stocked up on so many Primark socks that I am now sorted for my whole lifetime.

Before April, the closest Primark store to central London was in Hammersmith but now, they have opened their 70,000 sq-ft new flagship store in Oxford Street. Thousands visited the store on its opening day; there were riots and one member of staff ended up in hospital with minor injuries. I stayed well away that day, but did venture there the day after and only waited 15 minutes in the queue. Almost three hours later, I emerged happy, satisfied and the proud owner of four pairs of multi-coloured socks, amongst other things!

Find a celebrity

Want to see a star? Wander round Harrods in Knightsbridge for long enough and you’re bound to see someone you recognise. Or get down to famous London restaurant The Ivy, near Leicester Square, and join the paparazzi in staking out the place. Alternatively, just hang around the West End and, if you are lucky enough, you’ll be veritably star-struck. In the past couple of months, I saw musician Brian May enjoying Wicked, ex-soap star Martine McCutcheon texting on her mobile in the window of a restaurant and velvety-voiced, legendary Shakespearean actor (although he will forever remain Star Trek’s Captain Picard to me) Patrick Stewart, watching Equus.

Enjoy some eye-candy

If you have a free hour, pop into stylish, hip American clothing store Abercrombie and Fitch, which has just opened its first UK shop in Savile Row. You don’t actually need to buy anything (although some articles of clothing are actually pretty decently-priced); just feast your eyes on the gorgeous half-naked male models they employ at the store and enjoy the dance beats permeating the store. I met a friend working there whom I hadn’t seen since he was about 12. Now in his early twenties, he is definitely grown up into model-material. As for the male readers, you get to drool at the pretty female staff members who are all in their late teens / early twenties and have absolutely no body fat whatsoever. I wonder if management weighs them before they employ them…

Get some culture

Most museums in London are free. The Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington is the world's greatest museum of art and design and most of its exhibitions are free. However, I did splash out £9 to see their fabulous ‘Surreal Things’ exhibition, which explores the influence of Surrealism on the worlds of fashion, design, theatre, interiors, film, architecture and advertising. The ‘Kylie Minogue’ exhibition, on the other hand is absolutely free, although you do have to get timed tickets, and I must admit I could not resist peeking in, mainly to see those famous teeny gold metallic shorts that she wore for the video of ‘Spinning Around’!

The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square houses one of the greatest collections of Western European paintings in the world, while the National Portrait Gallery features portraits of famous British men and women. The current main exhibition is called ‘Faces of Fashion’ and is made up of photos of the rich and famous taken by world-famous photographers.

My favourite museum experience to date, however, is probably The Tate Modern, Britain’s national museum of international modern art. The exhibits are fabulous. Over my last two visits, the Turbine Hall of this museum was filled with an artwork created by Carsten Höller, which basically was made up of a series of slides, which are impressive sculptures in their own right which the public could enjoy gliding down – hours of fun! Unfortunately, the installation closed in mid-April but I can’t wait to see what will be next!

There are loads more things to do in London which are free, or nearly. Take a walk in one of the many parks, such as Hyde Park or Green Park and enjoy the trees, grass and occasional squirrel; wander round Camden Town and gaze and the weird and wonderful shops found there; walk up to the Buckingham Palace gates and try and catch a glimpse of a royal personage. Just soak up the atmosphere in the knowledge that it is possible to enjoy London and not break the bank!