When theatre goes (hilariously) wrong: Inside MADC’s The Coarse Acting Show

Theatre is built on precision, timing and performance – but what happens when everything falls apart? That’s exactly what MADC’s latest production promises, in a night of riotous comedy where forgotten lines, collapsing sets and missed cues are all part of the plan.

Each of the six short plays in Michael Green’s The Coarse Acting Show parodies a different genre, in which a troupe of actors must try to keep going as everything that can go wrong, does.

There’s Streuth, a murder mystery that Agatha Christie would never have dared to write; A Collier’s Tuesday Tea, which combines kitchen sink, coal mine and dodgy accents; All’s Well That Ends As You Like It, where Shakespearean performance reaches levels of calamity the Bard could only dream of; The Cherry Sisters, a ‘lost’ Chekhov piece where an actor must ‘die’ standing up because of a prop malfunction; Last Call for Breakfast, an avant-garde experiment with an unfortunate blackout; and Julius and Cleopatra, featuring a chariot race that defies all logic.

The Coarse Acting Show asks much of its real-life performers, with each play demanding different accents, body language and pacing. Alan Paris – who leads MADC’s extraordinary cast – has relished the experience. “Each sketch is clearly defined in its genre and the (mis)interpretation of it,” he explains. “The audience doesn’t need to understand the genre to enjoy it because chaos ensues for the actors, regardless.”

For Francesca Briffa, as both a performer and MADC’s Hon Secretary, the show is an unmissable opportunity. “There is nothing better for me than entertaining MADC’s marvellous audiences,” she says. “It is a great responsibility to produce a show as part of the MADC committee, but I always jump at the chance of being back on stage.”

Working with such a strong cast full of seasoned comedians has been one of the biggest joys of the rehearsal process, she goes on. “Rehearsals have been an absolute blast, especially alongside such a talented, comical bunch. How I am going to stop myself from laughing during the actual performances, I have no idea!” she laughs.

Paris also admits that keeping a straight face on stage is sometimes difficult, “especially when you’re sharing the stage with super comedienne Francesca Briffa, who cracks everyone up with just a look or a wicked laugh.” He adds with a grin: “She does much more too, but I won’t give anything away.”

Of the six plays, Paris has a particular fondness for The Cherry Sisters, where he plays Piles, a 109-year-old Russian butler. “He has a very unfortunate mishap with a prop and has to do his best to cover it up while keeping the sketch going. It’s absolutely hilarious!”

While the production itself is meticulously choreographed, performing in two different theatres adds an extra layer of difficulty. “At Teatru Salesjan, the dressing rooms are on stage right, while at Teatru Manoel they’re on stage left,” Briffa explains. “That means we need to recalculate the time for our changes between one set and the next.” Despite the logistical considerations, she sees it as a rare and exciting opportunity. “It’s wonderful to ‘tour’ between one theatre and another. It’s something that rarely happens in Malta.”

Indeed, teamwork is hugely important in making the production work, particularly between the cast and the backstage crew. “Our director, Stephen Oliver, has been vital in retraining us to be hilariously bad,” she continues. “The backstage crew have also had to make props and sets look like they aren’t working properly. The Coarse Acting Show requires great team effort to make it such a comical success.”

And for audiences, that means “a fun night out, plain and simple”, confirms Paris. “In some sketches, it looks like we’re sharing one brain cell between the entire cast. It’s that ‘ridiculismus’ that makes such a fantastically funny evening of entertainment.”

MADC’s production of Michael Green’s The Coarse Acting Show performs at Teatru Salesjan, Sliema, on 14, 15, 16 March and at Teatru Manoel, Valletta, on 21, 22, 23 March, with all performances at 7.30pm. This production is suitable for audiences aged 10 and over. Booking is now open at http://www.madc.com.mt for performances at Teatru Salesjan and at www.teatrumanoel.mt for performances at Teatru Manoel. This amateur production of The Coarse Acting Show is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French Ltd: www.concordtheatricals.co.uk