This week • 3 November 2002

What a week!

Australian actor Colin Willis talks to Ramona Depares about his role in an upcoming Maleth production

Monday: Back to work after the weekend, teaching at an English language school which I find great fun. Used to be a bureaucrat up till a few years ago, working at the Australian High Commission. Luckily I got the opportunity to retire early and so here I am, pursuing a new career and loving every minute!

Most of morning and afternoon taken up by lessons, teaching exam classes to students who are taking the Cambridge certificate exams.

The evenings have all followed a pattern lately: rehearsing for Wife Begins @ 40, of course! Then again, this is fairly typical. I tend to involve myself in theatre quite a lot, which means that most of my life tends to be taken up by rehearsals…

Tuesday: Another active morning in school. I enjoy being a teacher because you get to know the students very well, you build a rapport and that’s always very satisfying.

Went over my lines in the late afternoon. Though mind you, I find that the best way to learn lines is really through rehearsals. The script is very much tied to the action on stage: I tend to connect certain phrases and sentences with certain positions on stage. You have to look at lines in their proper context, not like you’re memorising them in a parrot like fashion.

Wednesday: Some administrative tasks cropped up at the school. I can’t believe it’s already been two years I’ve been working here! I first came to Malta in 1997, as High Commissioner for Australia. I immediately fell in love with the place. Went back to Australia when my term was up but after I retired decided I could do worse than find a job and settle down in Malta. Which I did, after completing a language teaching course.

People often ask me whether I feel claustrophobic living on a small island, after being used to the space in Australia. But it’s not like that at all. There’s such a lot to do here: I love the theatre scene and every weekend there is more than one production to enjoy. Living in Sydney I certainly would not be able to take in all these things: the distance makes it prohibitive. And besides, interesting things happen here in Malta that certainly would not occur in Australia!

Thursday: Lessons passed in a flash and it was off for a gruelling rehearsal session. Wife Begins @ 40 is a typical English farce that deals with a suburban household in England. And silly things happen, it’s all very amusing. It’s also extremely well-written, which means that the audience can just enjoy themselves without over-taxing the grey matter. It’s all about entertainment really.

The fact that we’re a good cast naturally helps. There’s a sense of teamwork which is essential if the production has to succeed. And I must say that director Frederick Testa has an extremely good sense of what’s funny, so that laughter will be guaranteed. I have the part of a seventy-five year old man who has a bit of trouble with his hearing and who keeps reliving the war and getting all muddled up. He’s a nice old guy with spirit, really, and he’s also the wife’s father-in-law. So this father-in-law has a special relationship with a dog – who’s incidentally being played by a young actress. We can’t possibly have a real dog on stage! Anyway, the two get up to a lot of things together, like I said it’s a hilarious play.

Friday: Had a couple of things to sort out at school, nothing special just everyday routine. Afternoon had a quick rest before going off to Valletta to watch the Vagina Monologues. An excellent production which I really enjoyed. The subject is quite controversial and it enjoyed a full-house, deservedly so. You could tell there was some really good teamwork between the cast and the direction! And then some people have the gall to say that nothing ever happens here…

Saturday: The week-end is lovely, particularly if you happen to live in St.Julians like I do. That is where all the action happens. A relaxed day, a bit of rehearsing followed by a lovely dinner out.

Pity the quiz-nights at Poco Loco have stopped: I used to be a bit of a whiz at them. Trying to revive them at Salvino’s in Valletta, which is quite a nice place really. Theatre and dining out form my major leisure activities. Okay, I do a bit of golf as well, but not as much as I should, I’m afraid! Generally Malta is a good place to eat, drink and be merry, which I must confess is what I like doing most. I believe that the Australian and the Maltese way of life are very compatible: it must be the sunshine and the informal dress etc. Whatever it is, it’s perfect!

Sunday: A relatively lazy day today. Woke up late, had a leisurely lunch that dragged on well into the afternoon and then prepared to go and see Dinner With Friends at the Manoel. It’s been quite a theatre week, very nice. Enjoyed the production, again you could tell that the teamwork was excellent. A lovely dinner in the city followed and then it was off to sleep in preparation for the week ahead.

Wife Beings @ 40 is running at the Manoel Theatre on the 8 and 9 November. For more details see the diary of events on page 31.