Church school memories play out onstage
Mid-Djarju ta’ Student fi Skola tal-Knisja portrays a schoolboy’s diary entries on girls and questions of faith
As I reminisce about the days of sitting in class at 14, feeling second-hand anxiety watching a friend present their show-and-tell, I couldn’t help but recall that same feeling of anticipation when Jamie Cardona posted on social media back in March on how he sold out his one-man show within a week.
Mid-Djarju ta’ Student fi Skola tal-Knisja is a one-man show written and performed by Cardona himself about his time as a teen at a church school. Directed by Vikesh Godhwani, with sound design and music by Aleandro Spiteri Monsigneur, this show took us through a schoolboy’s diary entries on girls, questions of faith and other insecurities young people tackle.
First off, the production design was of a high level; two Perspex boxes were placed in the middle of the acting area, a white cross at the back, and framing this trinity was a white Perspex archway, where certain subtitles were projected. These set pieces lit up depending on certain cues, whether it was when Cardona interacted with them or sound cues, which I can say is
Chris Gatt’s signature lighting design mixed with the comedy.
The sound design was well thought out, with a great mix of genres. I quite liked the Catholic baseline and hints of Nintendo, and I think it would be a good album to put on Spotify.
Balloons, guitar-playing, food blenders, and party poppers were among the many other props featured in Cardona’s storytelling, along with the seminal diary and diary entries that thrust the narrative forward.
“The diary entries served as the backbone of the narrative
Overall, it is a well-paced story, effectively balancing moments of high intensity as ‘God’ (voiced by Paul Portelli, a contender to be Malta’s own Morgan Freeman), comes to instil Catholic guilt in the schoolboy, and fails time and time again. This provided a dynamic experience, thanks to the direction of Godhwani and his experience in producing and directing awardwinning Fringe productions.
Cardona’s ambitious take on revisiting his younger self through his diary is a great premise for a one-man show. We follow the different entries, starting with the first day of the scholastic year, entering Grade 10.
The time jump at the start was used quite well, although there was a blurring of entries when Cardona stops from his narration to explain his sexual awakening, and his tried-and-tested erectile cover-up practicums were not initially clear whether they were diary entries.
Clearer delineation in the diary entries would have provided sharper time jumps and a more zestful narration – for example, the projected dates were a great touch and could have been used more to showcase such.
The characters featured, on their own, were strong. Julio and Herbert, Cardona’s childhood friends and his comrades in scholastic mishaps, apart from other classmates, the teachers, and religious brothers all played a part in the world-building of the 14-yearold Catholic schoolboy.
When Cardona switched from one character to another, especially in highpaced dialogues, however, resulted in some blurring of characters and a lack of discipline in characterisation.
These small actions make a difference, especially when there are no costume changes or other props to help signify different characters. Sharpening the action on stage and characterisations would push this production onto another level.
Each moment God stepped in to imprint some form of shame and failure, I was expecting a twist. The theme of Catholic guilt, I found, was not as pronounced, and became a missed opportunity for us to see and feel this character’s disregard and lack of empathy towards others. His objectification of others while serving as a mirror to his downfall was not balanced enough for me to relate to the shame and guilt of exposure and insecurity – a bigger downfall would have been more striking, and less out of place.
This production takes audiences through adolescent experiences, faith, and self-discovery. The production design was executed with precision and enhanced storytelling, while the sound design complemented Cardona’s performance.
Although the theme of Catholic guilt could have been more pronounced, the diary entries served as the backbone of the narrative, adding whimsy to Cardona’s storytelling. Despite some blurring of entries, Cardona’s portrayal of various characters contributed to the rich worldbuilding of his schoolboy persona.
Nevertheless, Mid-Djarju Ta’ Student Fi Skola tal-Knisja’s potential as a Fringe favourite is evident, and with minor adjustments to the script and tighter execution, it promises to captivate audiences with its witty narrative and engaging performances.
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