Interview: The Compères
With ceaseless rehearsals, crew meetings, and auditions, it’s pretty fair to say that most of us have been breathing, eating, and sleeping ‘Soirée’. And with good reason; this annual celebration of artistic talent, brings together parents and staff, as well as the first-year and second-year students, as well as unravels the Aloysian spirit that is based on tremendous hard work and unbelievable dedication. Needless to say, it also equips our students with a problem-solving attitude, time management skills (indispensable if one wants to keep up with academic studies whilst giving a great performance), and also team work skills, crucial to any career. In this article I will be interviewing three remarkable students, Andrea Caruana, Kirstie Attard Spiteri, Matt Micallef St John who promise to stand out from the previous years’ compères, taking us to a whole new world inside the Soirée macrocosm.
How will this year’s compères differ from those of previous years? How do you plan to be innovative, whilst bring a new element to the critically acclaimed show?
Matt: think that this year, the compères are more genuine. The compères in past years have been playing characters that were created for them. This year's compères are simply themselves, and I find it to be a great advantage. It means I am free, although with a few given restrictions. I don't need to keep in mind that I must act out the part of someone I'm not.”
Andrea: Last year's compères, despite giving their best efforts, gave a performance that could have been better, due to their lack of time, multiple script edits, and a general lack of chemistry between themselves. This year the compères' chemistry is obvious, and we certainly click. Our script is cleaner and more formal than last years', and we are collectively working hard to give a performance none like those that we’ve seen before. I consider this as a major advantage as the atmosphere is so much more relaxed and makes the connection feel far more genuine, as well as saving time on character study.
Kirstie: I guess the difference this year is that we won't be acting as much, as being ourselves on stage. We will neither have any costume changes, which is a relief. I think that this way the audience will be able to relate to us more this way.
How would you describe the written script?
Matt: It's a formal script, with a sense of humour. This year we want to put an end to all the ridiculous political jokes. We don't see the need to constantly bring up political parties, mistakes done by governments, and problems that bore us on a regular basis. We plan on being original.
Andrea: A running commentary of the items, and current events that is both humorous and satirical whilst still being charming and sophisticated.
Kirstie: It’s amazing, fun, and simply unforgettable!
You mentioned the fact that this year's script is much more formal - Does that hinder the usual scripts’ humorous aspect, and the relationship the compères build with the audience? How will you manage to be both entertaining, and adaptable to suit the audience's different tastes, backgrounds, and sense of humour?
Andrea: Not at all. - I believe the formality makes the audience appreciate the jokes more as they are sparser. The jokes themselves involve current affairs and witticisms in certain ways that all will appreciate, and hopefully have a laugh over.
How much did the team adhere to censorship regulations?
Matt: In all honesty, we just want to be a bit freer to say whatever we want to say. We understand that the school has its boundaries, and we acknowledge the reasoning behind them, so we shouldn't be the ones to complain much, but we will undoubtedly be pushing those boundaries. We won’t be making fun of our audience, and we don't plan on doing so. But yet again, that's the point of comedy; laughing at ourselves, and at one another. It is there to promote happiness and communal unity. If we can't have a have a laugh from time to time, then what's the point of anything?
Kirstie: It’s is hard to write a script when we know what the regulations are, and what people’s expectations are, but once we got started it became easier to write and keep to the regulations.
Andrea: The compères and Mr Delicata struggled exceptionally hard to stick to the guidelines. However, sticking to them on a puritanical level made a script and performance as bland as rice. Therefore the compères deviated at certain points to try and produce an enjoyable performance whilst remaining more or less in line with the regulations. Last year showed me how heavily censored the whole Soirée truly is. Whilst I understand that it is necessary, in some cases, to use it to preserve the reputation of the school and prevent any obscenities, we have reached a stage where young adults cannot satirise anything. I daresay Soirées in Malta go from total liberty to something controlled to Orwellian extents. Changes must be encouraged and a happy mean must be reached.
How do you plan to improve on the previous years' performances?
Andrea: We aim to give a cleaner, more streamlined performance with definitive lines, and no costume changes. Our own personal character is intended to shine and ultimately entertain.”
Matt: We simply want to be ourselves.
How do feel that this experience is helping you develop into more wholesome people that are rounded by a plethora of new skills and abilities?
Kirstie: I'm so excited for Soirée as I've never really been compère so it is a totally new aspect of being on stage without hiding behind a role or a big chorus. I think I am becoming more confident because of it.
Andrea: Firstly it’s made me much closer to my fellow compères and it has reunited me with stand-up comedy and improvised theatre, which I haven't done in years, so it’s great to be back.
What should the audience expect overall?
Matt: Expect four very different characters coming together as friends on stage. Soirée is an event where the school comes together, no matter what views or opinions, and unites. The same will happen with the compères, who are ready to show what friendship at SAC is really like. Also, expect natural expressions and genuine characters.
There you go! Don’t forget to join us for this long-held tradition of students showcasing their talents being held between the 6th and 9th of February.
Tickets may be bought from the Sixth Form secretary during school hours.
Therese Lia
