‘Le Pauvre Matelot’ in Strait Street

As part of the Valletta Cultural Agency, the Strada Stretta Concept is set to collaborate with the French National Theatre troupe Arcal Lyrique, for a live performance of the opera Le Pauvre Matelot. The event, which forms part of the Strada Stretta programme under the artistic direction of Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, will be held on Friday, 26 February at 8pm at The Splendid in Strada Stretta, Valletta.

Through Arcal Lyrique, founder and director Christian Gangneron creates projects specifically designed for nontraditional spaces for performance, thus interacting with the audience beyond the barriers imposed by a stage. Originally created by Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) with the libretto written by Jean Cocteau (18891963), the opera comprises of three acts and unfolds in a dramatic sequence of events. The performance of Le Pauvre Matelot is to mark its second run on the Maltese islands, with the first being held in March 2009 as part of the BOV Opera Festival, held in the foyer of the Manoel Theatre at the time. While not only targeting operalovers, this year’s rendition is to take on Strada Stretta as its nontraditional performance space, with a dynamic and contemporary version of this classic opera.

The beautiful voices of Claudine Le Coz, Eric Trémolières, JeanBaptiste Dumora and Jean-Marie Frémeau are to enliven Strada Stretta with their performances in the leading roles of this opera. Moreover, they will be accompanied by pianist Stéphane Petitjean, dynamically illustrating the heartfelt core of Le Pauvre Matelot. Le Coz and Dumora are to reprise their roles, following their participation in the local 2009 performance. Essentially, the opera centralises around a love-affair between a woman and a sailor, thus serving as a great parallel with the character and history of Strada Stretta as a hub for sailors during the war. Moreover, this parallel is further enhanced with the music, which was influenced by the vibrancy of the streets and bars of another Mediterranean port city, Marseille.

Entrance to this event is free, however bookings are a must. To book a place, kindly send a private message to The Strada Stretta Concept Facebook page or get in touch by email on info@vca.gov.mt

Please note that due to the current situation, a limited number of seats are available and all those attending must wear a face mask throughout the duration of the performance. The event will also be livestreamed.