|
Patrick Vella is the founder of Curtain Raiser theatre group and both acts and directs for the group. Patrick is a trained artiste and has also worked as a drama tutor. His upcoming production in which he both directs and plays the main part in Curtain Raiser’s version of Bram Stoker’s Drakula, which kicks off at St James Cavalier this coming weekend.
What prompted you to take up acting and later directing. Any family influence?
 About ten years ago I left the island to go to the LIPA (Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts), it was a risky idea and very expensive, but I made it till the end. I then moved to do post graduates in the same fields down in Kent and Loughbourgh later on. There is nobody in the family who is or was a performing artist, yet my father is in the field of visual arts and prop making. He always manages to impress me with his ideas of gadgets he can create for theatre. He made some gadgets for me for Disney Tunes, and is impressing me once more with what he is doing for the musical Drakula. Before I left the island I was already involved in producing and I do remember a big performance at MCC, I must say it was very hectic and I learned a lot, though the price to pay was very high... I am not only referring to money of course.
Of all your many roles which were the most memorable and why?
Most roles were stepping stones and looking back I was directed by very interesting people once back in Malta. Rooster in Annie at the Manoel Theatre was one role that I remember well, some six year ago. anthony bezzina gave me a good opportunity to show a good element in me. I did work with Masquerade for some time and it was definitely a very good experience. Later I worked with Josette Ciappara, who had a different but interesting approach.
I did work on devising theatre for a while… like ‘Kandor’ where Clare Agius and I did move to some interesting places around the world touring with the one act play I wrote. I had a very interesting role. Maybe a bit influenced by Pinter to an extent… but the character I created had good elements of different facades. The character was very demanding and had to be interpreted with great care since he was on the verge of psychosis, much influenced by Sarah Kane. I did my best though to keep reality and acting away from each other. It was tough at first! Lately I was Mickey Mouse... and it was big, big fun!! We did a 27 run at St James...and we always managed to make all audiences happy. That was such a great satisfaction. Doing the Count Dracula now is a great challenge as we are staying away from the clichéd idea of the count. Of course we did pay attention to keep the superstitions alive. Being a rock opera/musical we also are trying to keep away from melodrama, though at times it is impossible as Goth is Goth!
Which are the actors that you admire and would suggest aspiring actors should follow?
I admire quite a few actors, I had the opportunity to see Jude Law doing Faust (Marlowe’s version) he was superb to say the least, of course had different views of him as I only knew him on screen. But he was simply great. Of the European performing artists I do like some and though it might be that the names will not ring a bell since they are not famous I am still going to mention... Guillermo Horta who is Cuban but lives in Teneriffe… he has a style of his own. Made it possible to bring him here again after some workshops and work together. He was superb to work with and had a performance at the Inquisitor’s Palace. There are several artists in Malta who I follow. I have seen great talent around me and I know there is some good talent coming up like that of Jimmy Grima and Miriam Galea, so young but very creative and innovative. I do like Irene Christ, full of energy, Kevin Drake… so powerful in his acting... Rachel Fabri, is really coming up well, of course I have seen others in different styles and genres… can’t mention them all. As to aspiring actors, I suggest that if they want to be actors they have to realise that it will take a lot of their time… and that is the price they have to pay. What one needs is perseverance, attitude, and of course discipline and the longing to know more... these are good ingredients mixed up with good values and humbleness.
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?
I did mention Kandor above. That was a tough one. Kandor is a two handler. Crits in Malta described my acting as spot on. I thank them… yet to achieve that was hard and painful. Kandor was a devising place designed to be transported to site specific areas around the globe. That is what I did. I moved to central Europe, Eastern Europe, UK, Edinburgh Fringe, Russia, and India, came back with a different Kandor, and I was different too. Playing the role of a person who suffers from psychosis needs stamina and endurance. I realised I did have them. I must say though, that I spent a week in bed after my last performance at St James. If you do ask me to redo it...I think I would think about it twice, but knowing me… the answer would be “yes”!
You are now directing Drakula, has your production been influenced by any of the films on Bram Stoker's story, if so which and in what way?
I admit I have watched them all… from the expressionism of the German silent movie, Nosferatu (1921), to Coppola's more recent masterpiece. Of course I was influenced, but I am trying my best to create my own Dracula. Being a musical it helps. I will be working a lot on the senses of the audience, and St James is just great to aid me in my deed! The infamous Dracula, though, is his own victim as his rage is more based on the fear of being feared! Being so close to the audience, prosthetics and special effects are mostly used throughout for credibility... I managed to get most prosthetics from abroad… including a full vampire monster costume from a specialised company in Kent, it will only appear for 10 seconds maximum... but worth a glance from the audience. Many more expectations... but better not to give it all away...
Does Curtain Raiser have ideas or aims that distinguish it from other theatre groups, if so what are they and how does the group differentiate?
I believe that we do have ideas and we do have concepts, mission statements and of course philosophy as I suppose all theatre groups do have. I am sure that most serious companies do not produce theatre purely for entertainment, as all theatre is political (I am of course not referring to Maltese politics but to social change) after all and there should be thought behind any production. Why did I chose this production and not another one? That is a question one must ask. To start with, I make it clear to any bought script (if bought) to give me space to change according to our culture. In fact Drakula being an American libretto, had too much southern American influences which I changed drastically. The composer Don Linke did send me an email, telling me to go ahead as he understood that we do live in different worlds, with different influences and therefore different cultures. I want the audience to understand not just the text, language, or acting, but also the motive behind it.
What is theatre adding to your life?
It gave me a theatre school now established, where serious theatre students can do their studies in collaboration with Trintiy College. It gave me some interesting contacts in Malta and abroad, it gave me goals... it gave me satisfaction. I don't want to be profane, but it gave me depth and an alternative way of thinking... besides it gave me tension, stress and anxiety... to balance, but all is true. Another toll to pay I guess!
What future plans do you have?
I do have a European Theatre Workshop here in Malta during Easter time, in fact I just finished from a weekend meeting with the foreign directors. It is an EU funded project called Synergy Ready Steady Go. We had the initiative to start the project and we have five partners. Our aim is to keep on working to change it to a Culture 2000 project. St James Cavalier is working hand in hand with the project. They will be hosting the performances at St James premises. Later I have a production to be staged in Budapest (Hungary), Krakaw(Poland) and some more work in Brussels with a drama centre. As regarding theatre in Malta I have an original play with music to be staged early next season, and I will again try my best to do a children/family show for the festive season called ‘Super Heroes’ at Xmas time!!
Should be good as was Disney Tunes.
If you could change three things in Malta what would they be?
Roads, can’t stand them any more.
VAT on arts! Censorship modification.
|
