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Pia Zammit runs the pub in ëTwoí, a Unifaun production of Jim Cartwrightís play. Gilbert Calleja meets the landlady for a chat.
Sheís bubbly, sheís fun, sheís boisterous and sheís playing seven characters in one play. The editor had, how shall I put itÖ warned me that sheís extremely outgoing and a talented actress. This somehow prompted me to draw up a mental picture of this woman who to my knowledge could have come straight out of a Fellini film.
I go to St James Cavalier in the evening and find a swarm of people going all over the round theatre preparing for ëTwoí, Unifaunís production of Jim Cartwrightís 1989 play. In the midst of all that activity I spot the woman I came looking for and I was sure of it.
 ìPia?î
ìHiiiiii Ö how are you? Ö,î and I am sucked into this activity by her animated greetings.
ìI was painfully shy but not on stage,î she says.
Yeah right! Ö all the world is a stage.
She describes her early involvement with theatre and says that her involvement with the stage started since she was ìa wee totî.
ìI remember writing and ëadaptingí fairy tales and films and putting up plays for my parents and neighbours. My neighbour Dionne and I would buy kartoncin (cardboard) and tape around 10 together to make a backdrop and paint two scenes ñ one on the front and one on the back. Weíd use sheets for curtains (and tape to keep them up and theyíd invariably fall) and weíd make tickets and sell them for 2 to 5 cents eachÖ just enough to make back the money for the kartocin.
ìMy brother Gianni (DJ Gianni) who was pretty young at the time was draped in a sheet in every play and his role was always Moses or a Chef and heíd wander on and off stage looking for his ësceneí. It was a very crude homage to Theatre of the Absurd. Well thatís my excuse anyway!î
Zammit takes me back to her school years and tells of her participation in school plays.
ìI vividly remember a performance of ëMy Family and Other Animalsí which my class had performed for the rest of the school and at the end of the play as everyone was applauding and whistling and cheering I remember thinking Ö ëthis is what I want to do for the rest of my lifeí.î
She tells me of how at age 6 or 7 her biggest dream was to be in the pantomime, reason being she had ìan enormous crush on Colin Eastonî.
ìI kind of abandoned that dream once I left school as life, work and more importantly parties got in the way but was unceremoniously thrown back into the theatre world by my friend Paula who rightly thought I needed something other than parties in my life. Iím forever indebted to her.î
Since then theatre has become a real need she says.
ìIf Iím not involved in a production or there isnít one on the horizon then Iím a grumpy bitch. I started off playing little chorus roles in the panto (the joy finally!) Ö like a tree in the wind. No seriously! And then started getting offered better parts. It took a long long time though and as frustrating as it was, Iím grateful for that now. I donít take any role for granted and I always feel extremely lucky to be able to play any character. Itís such an amazing experience ñ becoming someone else.
ìIt starts off with invention Ö you try to ëinventí a person and create them... but the person soon takes over and new mannerisms and nuances are added. Not by myself but by the character. It really does take on a life of itís own and Iím almost just a vessel. Ok it sounds like mumbo jumbo but I donít know how better to describe itÖ,î she says through the giggles.
What is the background behind this play? Why Jim Cartwright? (relevance to Maltese audiences) ìWell the play wasnít chosen by myself. Adrian buckle the producer chose it. Adrian has a knack for picking out brilliant scripts. Itís a talent.
ìJim Cartwright lives in Gozo but is originally from LancashireÖ the guy writes like a dreamÖ itís one of the best scripts Iíve ever readÖ the characters are so full and complete.î
Cartwright often draws inspiration from the lower or working classes and has been often labelled as a realist even though his plays donít follow the traditional narrative form.
Zammit tells me of how she first read the play during the summer and ìloved it.î
ìDaily rehearsals started in mid-MarchÖî
We are interrupted by co-actor Edward Mercieca and before I have time to understand whatís going on the two improvise a sketch, laugh at themselves and he leaves again.
Tell me about your collaboration with Edward and Adrian.
ìEdward and I are now like a pair of old slippersÖ no no Ö not a reference to age. But weíre both really comfortable with each other now. We now communicate telepathically tooÖ heheÖ No seriously, we can anticipate each othersí moves and thoughts and we both have absolute trust in each other. And thatís really nice. This is the thirteenth time Iím sharing a stage with Ed after all.î
In this play you interpret seven different characters. How easy or difficult is this?
ìSeven wonderful characters Ö itís extremely difficult to play various characters in one play. But great fun too. The scenes are short but Cartwright manages to create a complete character in just a couple of pagesÖ itís quite incredible. Iíve had a blast building each of them up and learning them and trying to understand them. Some came easy and some were difficult to find and relate to. I think I know them all nowÖ at least I hope I know them all now,î she chuckles.
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