Popolazzjoni: 4 by Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective

A theatre performance by Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective

‘Popolazzjoni: 4’ follows four individuals in their early-to-mid twenties – Roberta, Jeremy, Natasha, and Cini – who, for very different reasons, have grown tired of the modern way of life and decided to collectively move to Filfla to experience ‘off the grid’ living.

GIANLUCA MIFSUD (he/him) – Director

Gianluca Mifsud is a producer and actor who graduated from PPA in Guildford with a BA (Hons) Performance in Musical Theatre. Gianluca co-founded Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective as well as Chewing Productions and has lent a helping hand in each of their respective productions through varying roles, be it as a Producer, Production Manager, Sound Designer, ASM, Marketing Coordinator and more.
When Gianluca is not behind the scenes, he can be found on stage having recently had the pleasure of being enrolled at Cruncham Hall Elementary during Masquerade’s Matilda, serving drinks on a Greek island as Pepper in FM Theatre’s Mamma Mia!, and travelling back in time to 1960s Malta as Toni Tagħna in Balzunetta’s il-Kbir Ghadu Gej.
Gianluca is excited to be making his directorial debut with Ħassle Mejjet’s latest show, Populazzjoni: 4 and can not wait to be reunited with the team once again on its 5 Year Anniversary.

BENJAMIN ABELA (he/him) – Writer

Benjamin was first exposed to the theatrical arts sphere at the age of 12, when he joined Stagecoach Theatre Arts School. From that point on, his love for this artform has only grown, enjoying on-stage and backstage experiences with several theatre groups and troupes, including FMYT, Studio 18, and Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective.

Over the years, Benjamin participated in countless productions and, subsequently, played dozens of different roles. These include Pete in Studio 18’s ‘Dear Pete’, Lamb in Teatru Malta’s Maltese adaptation of ‘The Hothouse’, Max in the online version of ‘Ineż Kienet Perfetta’, David in Culture Venture’s ’Il-Pożittivi’ and Grillu in Studio 18 and Spazju Kreattiv’s ‘Il-Giddieb Għomru Twil’.

Benjamin’s role within the local theatre industry goes beyond that of an actor. Over the years, he has written and co-written a number of scripts, such as ‘Pandora’ (produced by Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective) and ‘L-Aħħar Siġra’ (produced by Just Another Collective and Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective for ŻiguŻajg), ‘Help! Barbetti go Bohemian!’ (produced by Studio 18), and ‘iLand’ (also produced by Studio 18).

In 2017, Benjamin founded the Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective together with two of his colleagues. Since then, the collective has welcomed an extra core creative member. The plays produced by the group include ‘An Ode to Teen Angst’ (2018), ‘Pandora’ (2019), ‘An Ode to Teen Angst: The COVID Chronicles’ (2021), and ‘L-Aħħar Siġra’ (2021). Benjamin’s roles in said productions have included actor, writer, and co-director.

BRENDON THEARLE (he/him) – Actor, portraying Jeremy

Brendon entered the world of theatre at the age of five and since then has performed in various productions such as; MADC’s traditional Shakespeare classics; The Merry Wives of Windsor (2022) as Frank Ford, as Mr. Scruples in Manoel Theatre’s opera for 2019’s ŻiguŻajg in The Impresario (2019), as Captain Barbuljatu in FM Theatre Productions’ Christmas pantomime; The Little Mermaid – The Panto Under the Sea (2019), as Ron Miller in MADC’s Breaking the Code (2022) and as Gary in MADC’s A Kick in the Baubles (2022), among many others.

He has also delved into the directorial seat with such projects as Pandora (2019), L-Aħħar Siġra (2021) and most recently; The Fourth Wall (2022) for MADC’s One Act Play Festival in which The Fourth Wall won; Best Actor, Most Promising Actor, Best Director and Best Production and was nominated for; Most Promising Actress.

He is also currently studying for a Bachelor in Theatre (Honours) degree at the School of Performing Arts within the University of Malta.

ANNALISE EBEJER (she/her) – Actor, portraying Natasha

Annalise is a recent graduate of Applied Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (BA Hons) and has extensive experience in theatremaking, performance, facilitation and as an accessible officer for L-Aħħar Siġra (2021).

As a queer activist in the arts, she believes that theatre can be a catalyst of change in society and so many of her projects are based around current issues in society, like Kisbiet Minsija (Spazju Kreattiv, 2022)- a feminist community project that toured elderly homes. She facilitates various educational projects and has worked with Polka Theatre, Opening Doors and Studio18. Annalise has been a core member of Ħassle Mejjet for five years and has produced and devised for shows that the collective puts up. She also dabbles in cabaret and drag, and has been part of The Brazen Culbaret (2021, 2022).

Annalise tries to reflect her passion and values in all the work she chooses to do. In her freetime, she enjoys writing and reading poems and playing with her dog and cats!

BERTHA FARRUGIA (she/her) – Actor, portraying Roberta

Bertha Farrugia, is a 20 year old, studying Performing Arts at the University of Malta, aspiring to spend all of her other years in life on stage.

Her love for performing started from a very early age, specifically on the stage of her first school at St. Monica School Gzira. Here Bertha was encouraged and supported by many of her teachers that believed that she would be able to achieve many of her current achievements and more.

During and after her primary and secondary years she exposed herself to many other trainings in the country like Gymstars, Malta Drama Centre, The Dance Workshop, TMYT, Masquerade, and Theatre Lab Malta, with some musical theatre examinations along the way. Bertha has also studied at the University of Lincoln in the UK and did some conservatoires at Guildford School of Acting.

Performing on stage is what keeps her going in life, therefore Bertha hopes to keep doing all of this until her last breath. Bertha is super excited for her first production with Ħassle Mejjet.

MATTHEW DIMECH GENUIS (he/him) – Actor, portraying Cini

Matthew’s passion for drama ignited at a young age. He starred in the captivating drama ‘Mrar’ as his first major role alongside established actors. Since then, he has made his mark in Maltese teledramas like ‘Iċ-Caqqufa,’ ‘Rajt ma Rajtx,’ ‘Grammi,’ ‘Rifless,’ and ‘Il-Patt.’ He has also been involved in various films such as ‘Buddy Bear,’ ‘The Maltese Fighter’ and displayed a memorable portrayal as Żepp in ŻiguŻajg’s ‘Ineż Kienet Perf(etta).’

In 2022, Matthew graced the Manoel Theatre for the first time through the production ‘Ma Kuraġġ u Wliedha’, which was a memorable experience in his theatrical career.

Saturday 26 August at 8pm

Sunday 27 August at 7pm

Hall of the Malta Society of Arts,
Palazzo de La Salle, 219, Republic Street, Valletta