What the hell just hit me…?

How did you stumble upon this particular theme and story structure?

Regarding the theme, I started by drawing upon personal experience. Just over a year ago, I was involved in an accident which made me aware of my own mortality in a way that I had never been before. At the time my wife was having a baby, I was working on the pantomime and I had to prepare my musical for its London debut so I had no time to dwell on it. However over the summer I gave myself a nice long break during which I’ve had plenty of time to contemplate the process of death. Once I was there, I started the research. Regarding the structure, it’s nothing out of the ordinary – just your typical four-act arc condensed into a jam-packed hour in order to give that ‘what the hell just hit me’ effect. Hopefully, that is.

Do you think such a fantastical story will work well on the stage, particularly since your experience has been largely based in ‘straight’ comedy?

I think it will, although obviously I can’t be sure of anything – that’s one of the great things about theatre. I can only say with a reasonable amount of conviction and a generous dose of optimism that it should work pretty well. I have seen other plays with a similar sort of feel produced before and I was enchanted by the experience every time. This is the first time I’m writing a play that isn’t a broad comedy. The reason for this is that I don’t write scripts as an outlet or to indulge myself, but I genuinely try to live off it. For this reason I have always written what I felt that audiences want to see rather than what I feel the need to write. Up until now, I have written the sort of plays that I felt would be the easiest to sell. At this point I feel like I have earned myself the right to try something a bit more experimental – although still with a broad appeal.

On a related note, what advantages do the mechanics of the MITP have for a production like this?

Working in Malta teaches you to be resourceful and since I knew that the piece was to be produced at the MITP, I have worked the script around the dimensions of that particular space. The MITP is large and tenebrous and the ideal setting for story such as this. Best of all, it is probably the best venue for local playwrights to test their material with an audience The place is affordable enough to ensure that you don’t have to embark on any soul-destroying sponsor hunts to break even and can be converted to fit just about any idea. You can also use the place without needing to have the script ready a year in advance which is handy if – like me – you tend to keep writing right up until dress rehearsal. Most importantly, the MITP’s best asset is Jason Masini – the friendliest and most helpful guy you could ever hope to work with.

What’s the dynamic between the cast like? How comfortable are they with their characters, and do you think they get the pitch of humour and fantasy?

The humour in the play is quite restrained. It does not have the belly laughs that I usually go for but lines for the audience to giggle at. I’m comfortable with comedy so I guess I’m playing safe here but since I’m also acting in it, I enjoy having periodic reassurance that the audience is still there. Whenever I see plays that tackle death however they tend to be depressing to the point that after awhile you become immune to it. The comedy in Revenance serves as a tension breaker and much of it is only funny because it’s so inappropriate or unexpected. However the ultimate aim of the light parts of the play is to highlight the darkness. I’m always very selective with my casting – especially for my own projects. Often I cast before I even start the scripting process so that the characters will fit the actors very comfortably. The cast therefore would be very comfortable in their roles. I also go to great lengths to pick people that are friendly and easy to work with – even conducting subtle background checks in the case of people I haven’t worked with before. Unsurprisingly, when you get a small group of lovely people together, they tend to work very well with each other.

You say that the play is presented as a ‘stylised children’s story’... are you deconstructing the fairy-tale structure here and if not, what drew you to the format in the first place?

To be honest, this style of theatre is quite fashionable right now and I’ve been itching to have a go at it for a while. This kind of dark theatre also usually tends to be quite physical and intense. I’ve kept the stylised themes but replaced the physical aspect with humour. The intensity is still there and I believe that with the humour it should be heightened as the audience won’t always see it coming and there will be quite a bit of contrast at play.

You’re one of the few people in the local theatre scene who writes their own scripts... and in English too, which is even rarer? Why do you think there’s so few of you around?

A lot of aspiring playwrights give me scripts to look at for feedback and I’m happy to say that there’s actually quite a few of them around. Writing and producing your own play can be in itself quite daunting. Coming up with something that people would actually want to watch can be quite tricky and exposing your work to people’s opinions is even more so. In my recent experience with the London scene, the majority of reviewers were mercifully nice to me but some other playwrights weren’t so lucky. To be so skilfully (and entertainingly) ripped apart and left hanging for all of the UK to see is not an experience that I relish (although it is most probably inevitable if I stay on this path). When writing a play now I keep the reviewers and audiences in mind. I know it doesn’t say much about my integrity but I feel it’s a small price to pay for being to live off doing what I enjoy so much.

What kind of reaction would you expect the audience to (ideally) get out of the play?

A character in Revenance says that ‘The only thing that’s truly relevant in life is love – everything else is just a distraction until death’. I tend to subscribe to this notion and my play is just another distraction in life’s long line of distractions. If people are moved by the piece, agree that it was well-worth the entrance fee, and recommend it to others as their favourite distraction of the week; I’d be more than happy.

Revenance stars Malcolm Galea, Claire Bonello, Jean Pierre Agius, and Boris Cezek with an original soundtrack played live by Angele Galea and Boris Cezek. Tickets for the first weekend (12-14 Nov) are at €10, and tickets for the second weekend (19-21 Nov) are at €12. Booking will be open two weeks before the play debuts although reservations may be made from now by sending an email to [email protected].