Between mulling over how to begin this post and wrestling with the fussy pacing of a grey Persian passing back and forth near my desk, my new turquoise A5 yearly diary sits prominently at the corner of my desk (indirect courtesy of The Flying Tiger), making me ponder of the type of year I had since I last wrote in this blog.
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
Aside from making sure to any genuine readers that I am not dead, I feel the need to get back to writing both for inspiration's sake, be it this blog or a forthcoming theatre project (as was the reason for my distancing from the blog I am happy to report), and for myself. I simply enjoy the feel of pages turning in a journal, almost as much as the rapidity of the laptop keyboard, which my hands subconsciously makes no difference in rhythm to a piano piece.
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
I need to get back to the gym. Writing-wise. So pardon in advance for my rusty style.
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
I am resolved - not forcibly 'cause it's another start of a New Year - to get back into writing in this blog. The dictatorial mundane sight of people half drooling over their phones on FB or whatever has really made me itch to recap a few certain events that is worth sharing and reflecting on. As well as vent & rewind in my mental memory bank a slight dose of the X Factor hype a few weeks ago. More a little later.
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
The certain events I was glad to have been a part of, and which aided me further to develop as an artist, I officially dub and label as Throwback Theatre - lacks originality, but beats the lack of effort. Mostly pending posts or theatre productions I have seen and been in. Won't need to be exactly in chronological order, just random enough to place personal footnotes alongside each. Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
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A few weeks ago I was able to aid MADC alongside others as Front of House to their latest panto Jack and the Beanstalk, written and directed by my good friend Malcolm (had the pleasure to work with him before in a period play, feel free to linger shortly here).
The antics people bring along for each night in my attempt to distribute the programmes are countless, enough to want to write up a satirical sketch on them one day. There really are 'types' one faces on this end of the theatre, but thankfully the upsides were the surprises I found able to form in making people smile with an unexpected joke . . . and the liberty to watch the panto one night amidst the more vast selection of seats. Missed seeing the last night - Prank Night to some laymen out there, but still a Win-win sitch.
Another bonus was going backstage before shows and snuggle up in one or two dressing rooms equipped with a heater over one side. It wasn't just keeping from the cold that enticed me to come backstage; simply put, one doesn't need to explain the need to be in her home environment.
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
I was a bother to no one,
caught up with friends,
made a few more . . .
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
and along the way I saw and heard first hand
what affect the Prime of X Factor was having
both in that venue and to the production people of MADC.
For starters, the venue. I confess to have got myself lost one night, in trying to get to a shortcut to the panto area without having to walk all around in the cold. I ended up in a near empty tent, which turned out to be the official area where X Factor Malta would be broadcasted.
Best way to describe it? Out of that WHOOOLE Massive space - which was used previously for Michael McIntyre's tour - only about 20% of that space was stage, seating and dressing rooms. AND the seating was just three, angled, elevated podiums for the seats,
and the stage quality was . . . eh!
(Cliche' of TV making things look twice the size fits snuggly for this).
This was also responsible - in my opinion - of the confusion on the audience trying to get to see the panto; because the usual entrance area was blocked due to X Factor and panto entrance had to be someplace else (i.e. just next door), it brought many late-comers AND exasperation on both ends.
To be fair, there was word going round on both ends that they couldn't see the signs and possibly didn't think ahead on parking; I will not pretend to know the whole details on that situation, but this slight move caused a little confusion for me to find.
Then the behind-the-scene effects of the show
on MADC panto revealed themselves in:
missing doors,
missing mirrors,
the leisure of one soundman (I think) coming over from X-land
to MADC to slowly and casually fill up a kettle,
from the water cooler belonging to MADC.
The occasional 'volume'
coming from their dress rehearsal booming over to our neck of the woods,
vibrating the wooden compartments acting as dressing rooms,
that acted as temporary back massages.
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
On the penultimate show,
vibrating,
ad nauseum . . . .
Boom -
WaAHHH AH AH AH AH!
- introducing with the soundtrack from The Greatest Showman, apparently someone's entrance wasn't satisfactory and had to start AGAIN! Invoking a Panto ensemble member to comment, "They think they are the greatest show?!?".
A message I really want to give to all this at this point. This particular retelling isn't based on cynicism, and I enjoy The Greatest Showman, songs and all. On both be assured. I would encourage my sibling to give the contest a shot.
But the one message is this:
if you propose to emphasize the importance of being professional to newcomers to music, to the arts in general, if your main priority is to BE professional, please, show it OFFSTAGE as WELL as in public. 'Cause what I later heard happened during the penultimate night was beyond unprofessional. It was plain disrespectful.
One MADC member in charge of production went to X Factor soundpeople,
asked once, twice to put the volume down.
Nada.
Ziltch.
COMPLETELY ignored her.
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
Then another production member, tougher than the first and understandably annoyed (in use of a better word), went straight to sound person in charge of the controls and straight out pointed their disturbance towards panto going on AT THAT MOMENT!
Man: (half squeeking) Eee, sorry sorry sorry
No joke, when I was watching panto that evening, from where I was sitting there were such sound interference going on a few times during the show, and I hated to think what it was like for them on final night (as X Factor rehearsals were to go on till midnight).
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
What annoyed me personally the most, was that all the fuss and noise and interference and lack of respect going on before that Sunday, was all for a semi final! I mean good grief, panto has been going on longer and EVERYONE knows that final show would be on a certain date in January. X Factor Malta is still a baby - the lack of professionalism really revealed itself when they ought to have set the date of that semi-final - or start of a final 'cause it seemed to be in stages - when panto was done.
Need I say again it caused so much problems?
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*Gentle Exhale*
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
As I said, the venting isn't based on cynicism,
isn't to pick a fight
or to discourage anyone who enjoys X Factor Malta.
My retelling,
based on what I heard in passing
and saw in my 'snuggle-home times'
in the dressing rooms,
is to point towards the need to see this:
the main priority for any artist -whatever their artistic vocation - is to respect other artists. Keep community alive.
That is an ethic I personally adopt
and try to act upon as a person and an artist.
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
It is an ethic X Factor didn't act upon.
If X Factor is truly rooted in encouraging and aiding new artists in music, they need to teach it in their actions towards others. Might sound simplistic, but the simple is what grounds any person and their common sense.
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
Till next post folks!
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019
Copyright © Diandra A. 2019