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Marc Spiteri has acted in sixteen plays during the first four years of his acting ‘career’ and has made a name for himself as a comic character actor. Marc has one of the main roles in ‘1565’ the Musical and you can watch him, along with a large crowd of other talented actors next weekend on 10, 11, 12 and 13 February at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.
What prompted you to take up acting?
 As with all good things in life acting came to be quite by coincidence. I always loved the stage but I never believed that I would make it onto a stage to act - except for the occasional performance during a teachers’ play at the school where I teach. And that’s where I was ‘discovered’ by Angele Cauchi and Malcolm Galea, who were at the time rehearsing for ‘West Side Story,’ back in 2001. Someone was needed to play Sergeant Krubke and ‘Ang’ and ‘Mal’ mentioned me to Chris Gatt. At first I refused, but when the chance presented itself again I took the plunge, and definitely caught the bug. Here I am 4 years later about to start my sixteenth play!
Of all your many roles which were the most memorable and why?
Every character I played has left his mark on me in one way or another, and it is always sad for me when I hang up a character’s garb for the last time. But it is true some are more special than others. I will always remember Sir Toby Belch in my first Shakespeare at San Anton. His character was summed up as “..sensual, a boon companion and great roisterer.” He was an exceptional character to play, no wonder that together with Falstaff, he is one of Shakespeare’s funniest characters.
Which are the actors that you admire and would suggest aspiring actors should follow?
Actors are mirrors of life and every one brings to the craft his or her own particular ‘vision’ which is the product of past and present experiences. So each actor is unique, and from each one there is something to learn as each reflects life in his or her own way. The list of actors one could mention is endless but there is one actor that I will always suggest my young theatre students to study closely and that is the man in the street. A simple look around you will give you a myriad of mannerisms, walks, stories and voices which are the greatest ‘Guide to Acting’.
You are often cast in humorous roles, would you say those are the roles you excel in and do you find that a restriction?
They are the roles I have very often been cast in and they are very rewarding, especially when it comes to audience response. Nothing beats the reaction to a well-timed comment or slapstick. Yet, I must admit they can become burdensome. The acting world, like the real world, is very easy in its typecasts, so you have to be careful, too many roles of the same nature tend to present you as too much of a ‘déjà vu’ to an audience. I am still ‘young’ in the theatre world, so I would like to experiment with a variety of genres apart from the comical.
Did you ever have to prepare for a role in a way where you had to change yourself a lot either mentally or physically, and what can you tell us about those experiences?
Preparation is central to a good presentation of character and I do tend to try and immerse myself in the character’s mind as reflected by his words. Usually, the first thing I do when I am asked to read a character is to try to figure out a walk and a voice which I find best suits the character and then it’s a continuous build up process adding those little touches as one goes along. My biggest transformation so far was for Selsdon Mowbray in ‘Noises Off!’. I had to try to convincingly play a 70 year old guy and it wasn’t easy, but it seems to have worked out well as the audience went out asking who that really old guy on stage was.
You are taking part in 1565, what can you tell us about the experience so far?
It’s been great – I would have accepted any role to be in this play. History has always held a particular fascination for me, so the combination of history and theatre in 1565 was an opportunity I just couldn’t miss. It’s an incredible experience, watching this musical move through its different phases of growth and being part of its ‘original’ cast. I had never been in a play with such a big cast and such a mixture of people of all ages. There’s some real talent out there and Tony has managed to capture it in this play. Look, it’s a must see – the effects, the music, the lyrics I just can’t stop raving about it!
What is theatre adding to your life?
Theatre is my life. It is something I feel deep inside. There are those days when I ask myself but why the heck do I do it, but it all disappears the minute I set foot on stage. Apart from this, theatre gives me the opportunity to work with children on a level which transcends the classroom. At the school where I teach we have a thriving drama group, which Kristine Coppini (a colleague) and myself run. Believe me, nothing beats the joy and satisfaction we see in the eyes of our students after a play as they tangibly feel that they have done something really special. During 1565 the satisfaction for us will be even greater as we shall witness one of our former students, Cliff Zammit, star as Henri in 1565.
What future plans do you have?
Better ask a clairvoyant! I sincerely have no idea at this stage. I think I’ve given up trying to plan too far ahead, life is already too hectic as it is. So, we’ll leave everything in the hands of the greatest script-writer of all and simply hope for a happy one.
If you could change three things in Malta what would they be?
Oh! – (1) Politics and Politicians, they are the longest standing soap-opera on Maltese television. Same plot, same characters and the same old story – oh yes and now we have the “luxury” of having it on three different TV stations. Wow! (2) The renowned Maltese ‘zekzik’- as undisputed winners of the gossiper’s award since time immemorial, I do believe that we need a bit of a break and perhaps focus on our business rather than making everybody else’s business our own! (3) Skipping queues – why can’t we stick to a queue, it’s a single line, one after another – it’s simple! We just don’t know how. Think about it we could write books about all the excuses people came up with to skip a place in a queue!
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