Five young theatre enthusiasts will soon have the chance to create and perform a cabaret show, under the mentorship of The Shrinking Violets.

Leading local theatre collective The Shrinking Violets has announced an open call for young performers to work in tandem with the company on its next production.

Five female practitioners – Maria Buckle, Jo Caruana, Chiara Hyzler, Cathy Lawlor, and Denise Mulholland – make up The Shrinking Violets, which has presented critically acclaimed shows including Jamboy, Ernest and the Pale Moon, Us/Them and most recently, In Other Words.

Their upcoming production, Miscast – An Atypical Cabaret, will take place on 10, 11 and 12 November 2023. In this relaxed evening of laughter and music, all five Violets will perform together for the first time since they formed The Shrinking Violets in 2017. They’ll be joined in the cast by other top Maltese performers Mikhail Basmadjian, Thomas Camilleri, Joseph Zammit and Luca Zerafa.

Alongside creating and performing in Miscast, The Shrinking Violets will mentor the five young people – named the Mini Collective – as they create a cabaret show of their own and perform it on the same weekend.

“We’d love to hear from anyone aged 18-25 with a love for performing and/or directing – as well as those with multiple interests related to theatre and other skills,” says Cathy Lawlor, on behalf of The Shrinking Violets. “Applicants should send a cover letter that highlights any recent and relevant experience they may have, why they would like to take part, and what different aspects of theatre they would like to explore in the project.”

Applicants are invited to submit their performance CV and covering letter via email to shrinkingvioletsmalta@gmail.com, by 15 September latest. Applicants must be available between the start of October and the show on 12 November.

More information about The Shrinking Violets is available here.