Keeping Up Appearances | Interview

What’s the main challenge in adapting something that’s so well-loved, even by local audiences? Are you afraid of the level of expectation that comes with a production like this?

Isabelle Warrington: Well, yes, there is always a fear of high expectations. But I think all the cast is up to the challenge and I think audiences will be pleasantly surprised... and entertained!

Marylu Coppini: I think people look forward to experiencing the positive elements of a live adaptation of a television series. They will appreciate seeing even a representation of these characters live on stage, while enjoying the interaction between the actors and audience (which are obviously lacking on television).

Steve Casaletto:  That is indeed the biggest worry. You can’t always find someone who looks exactly the same but you must make sure that they have the right characteristics and then act as much as possible like the people they are representing. I think we were very lucky in this respect, as we have a number of the cast who are spot on, both in their looks and in their interpretation. So I think the audience is in for a treat.

James Calvert: The main challenge with a production like this is living up to people’s expectations. Over the years the public have grown to love the characters from the television series and they want to see those same characters brought to life on the stage. Unless you were to use the cast from the television it is obviously impossible to be exactly the same, but I think we do manage to get close enough for people to be able to relate.

John Montanaro: The main challenge is to create the illusion that they are watching the characters they have come to love, through the years, which I am pretty confident we will achieve. We have a very talented cast which has been working extremely hard and which can definitely live up to and surpass the audience’s expectations. This is a completely fresh script, written by the original author and not just an episode that has already been aired… definitely be a great reason to come and watch!

What do you think lies behind the enduring ‘appeal’ of Mrs Bucket? Do you think she has a Maltese equivalent?

Coppini: I think she has many equivalents everywhere!

Casaletto:  I think she is so much loved (or is that hated?) because we can all see her in many of the people we know. And that is true for all the characters, to be honest. The reason that we laugh so much at these characters is that we all know someone who is like one or another (if not all) of these larger-than-life people. The writing is good too, and there is just enough of a mix of the witty, the slapstick and the downright absurd to make it a fantastic show. Luckily for us, the stage version is just as good.

One imagines that such a pitch-perfect comedy of manners requires the cast to be fully alert to its milieu and tempo. How did the cast get into the swing of things?

Warrington: Comic timing is what makes or breaks the show. It is a well-seasoned cast who have all done comedy before, therefore they slipped into it with ease once they were off the book.

Casaletto: Well, since it’s such a well-known and well-loved series that everyone already knew well, it wasn’t awfully hard to get to grips with the feel of the TV show. However, we all have watched the episodes again many times since. I myself have watched every single one that I could get my hands on over the past six months.

The play will be staged at the Manoel Theatre on March 3 – 6 at 20:00, with an additional show on March 6 at 16:00. Tickets at €20, €17.5 and  €12 can be booked from [email protected] or by calling 21246389.