About
Ħassle Mejjet.
WHAT IS ĦASSLE MEJJET?
Ħassle Mejjet is more or less a social and personal experiment to learn new, innovative ways of bringing creative ideas to life.
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Formed in late 2017, opening its doors in 2018, Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective (in short, Ħassle Mejjet) was formed to devise and create theatrical productions to life by up-and-coming theatre novices, both original and devised content as well as previously written work by some well-known playwrights.
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In 2023, Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective was proud to celebrate it's fifth anniversary (dubbed ĦM 5) with a slew of events and celebrations to mark five years of the theatre collective since it's first show; An Ode to Teen Angst which was performed for one-night only to a sold out audience way back in 2018 - gosh time flies!
THE ĦM CRAZE
MARIA PISANI
PRAISE ABOUT L-AĦĦAR SIÄ RA
A hard-hitting piece of political youth theatre.
A wonderful debut by Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective, Just Another Collective and ŻiguŻajg.
ADRIAN BUCKLE
PRAISE ABOUT AN ODE TO TEEN ANGST
I would like to congratulate the three young men who devised this piece on an enjoyable evening and a reassurance that the future of theatre in Malta is alive and kicking. This performance was enjoyable, touching, funny and lively. Well done to all involved. Hope to see more from you!
STEPHANIE BONNICI
PRAISE ABOUT PANDORA
It’s fantastic to see a group of young people who want to get it right. Bravi [well done] for a premiere with an excellent production value, you’ve shown us that you’re going to be a collective to look out for!
Our Team.
The Ħassle Mejjet Team consists of; Benjamin Abela, Annalise Ebejer, Gianluca Mifsud and Brendon Thearle, four theatre novices in the ever-growing creative arts industry and creating new and original content for the ever-expanding theatre scene.
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Timeline.
You've got to come back with me, back to the past!
2017.
Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective was formed!
On 22nd October 2017
Did you know: That originally, Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective was called Kelma b'Kelma (Word for Word) Theatre Group - before that it was simply known as; The Theatre Collective.
This title was a temporary name for the group, primarily because a really cool Facebook page under the name; Kelma Kelma was already in use and also until the collective at the time decided on a (better) title.
After months and months of no new title, An Ode to Teen Angst was originally titled Ħassle Mejjet: An Ode to Teen Angst - the theatre collective decided to strip away Ħassle Mejjet from the show's title and use it as the theatre collective's official name and it has stuck with people ever since!
What does Ħassle Mejjet mean?: Ħassle Mejjet is a Maltese slang used by teenagers and young adults which simply means; Dead Hassle (but it makes much more sense and is so much cooler in Maltese)
2018.
Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective was announced!
On 27th May 2018
The theatre collective opened it's arms to the rest of the world and ventured into the culturally vibrant Maltese theatre industry!
The theatre collective's ambition is to show the Maltese people and theatre industry that not only veterans in the arts can create spectacular productions, but also young artists who are the next generation of theatre makers - with a little patience, something beautiful can flourish.
An Ode to Teen Angst was announced!
On 30th May 2018
A theatrical piece inspired by a collection of monologues and songs by various artists, that explored the infamous teenage angst we all go through once in our lives.
Did you know: Originally, An Ode to Teen Angst (or previously known as Ħassle Mejjet: An Ode to Teen Angst) was going to be a cabaret evening with just monologues, short scenes and musical numbers with guest accompaniment, however, this idea was later scrapped in favour of creating a theatrical piece with original characters and adapted piece of theatre.
An Ode to Teen Angst went public!
On 1st July 2018
For one night only at The Beer Cave in Valletta, An Ode to Teen Angst opened it's doors to a sold-out audience.
Audiences praised the group for adapting other theatrical works into it's own
semi-new piece of writing and making it relatable to teenagers and young adults alike, founding the target audience for Ħassle Mejjet's productions in the future.
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One audience member said "I would like to congratulate the three young men who devised this piece on an enjoyable evening and a reassurance that the future of theatre in Malta is alive and kicking. This performance was enjoyable, touching, funny and lively."
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Another audience member stated that An Ode to Teen Angst was as if three people came together and felt like creating a performance for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival just for fun - and a good one!
2019.
New year, new us!
On 13th January 2019
The theatre collective commissioned Matthew Ben Attard and his design firm; WeFreeOnes (now known as B.LOVED Studios) to design a new logo and branding for us, signifying a new year for the theatre collective as well as showing professionalism in what we create.
Annalise Ebejer joins the ĦM team!
On 16th January 2019
In January, the theatre collective branched out to more members, one being Annalise Ebejer!
Relatively new to the theatre scene, Annalise was very excited to start her journey in the Ħassle Mejjet team as a budding creative.
Pandora's story comes to life!
On 24th April 2019
A bigger and more ambitious project than An Ode to Teen Angst, after months of constant research, devising and coffee, Pandora's story was ready to be announced to the masses as a new and original coming-of-age story set in a Maltese context which sticks to the theatre collective's goal - which is to show stories created by young people for young people.
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Pandora would be the first Ħassle Mejjet production to be staged in a proper theatre venue and have a slightly bigger cast and a proper (albeit expensive) budget. It was also the first time, the founding members (Brendon Thearle, Gianluca Mifsud and Benjamin Abela) were taking a back seat and assigned roles to the production such as director, writer and producers.
Pandora's secrets are told to the world!
From 18th to 20th October 2019
Between the 18th to 20th October at Teatru Manoel Studio Theatre in Valletta, Pandora opened it's doors to yet another sold-out audience - for all three shows!
Audiences praised the group, cast and production team for making such a relatable and close-to-home performance, toying with local Maltese references and culture that younger and older audiences alike could relate to, as well as, making such a big leap in terms of production scale especially for such a small group with a limited budget.
Pandora was also praised for being "really fresh, creative and enjoyable... live[ing] [the] characters and great synergy... good story and use of set, lights and props... [and] looking forward to seeing more in [the] future!"
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An audience member said, "it’s fantastic to see a group of young people who want to get it right [...] [well done] for a premiere with an excellent production value [...] you’ve shown us that you’re going to be a collective to look out for!"
2020.
A new decade!
January 2020
The theatre collective, along with the rest of the world celebrated the end of a decade and the beginning of a brand new one, with 2020 being a research year for the collective where the members would focus on research and development through attending artist talks, workshops, creative
meet-ups and such to establish not only connections with other professionals but also to learn and gain knowledge throughout the entire year - not only that but also adapt and grow as individuals.
Locked indoors? ĦM Recommends has got your back!
March-June 2020
With the entire world having to remain indoors and stay safe due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic which not only affected the lives of many people but many industries - including the theatre industry as well.
The collective felt that it was only right to launch a small initiative to keep people entertained whilst stuck indoors; hence the; #StaySafe #StayHealthy #StayCreative mini-campaign was launched - and what better way then recommending a film/tv series, a play, an album and a musical, all related to the creative arts and theatre industry.
Thus, ĦM Recommends was launched on ĦM's social media platforms for 10 weeks to keep its followers entertained whilst in lockdown.
Hello, Malta Creative Collective!
November 2020
In November 2020, the Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective became an official member of the Malta Creative Collective (MCC), which is an independent, purpose-led movement that brings together like-minded creatives currently based in Malta with the aim of facilitating constructive connections.
"As creators, we mix single ingredients to shape new ideas, products and brands in widely differing fields – from fashion to dance and photography; from the food and health industry to the retail sphere."
As part of the theatre collective's aim to dedicating 2020 as a research year, Ħassle Mejjet became an official member with the aim to develop contacts with other like-minded people in the creative arts industry as well as to use MCC as a platform to develop and grow as a collective and as individuals.
2021.
A new warning to the world, An Ode to Teen Angst: The COVID Chronicles could become an online infection!
1st April 2021
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, as were many other things, all theatres were still closed off to the public and to creatives who, just like the collective, were yearning to create some good theatre and welcome back audiences into the venues' empty seats, which also meant that the theatre collective could not create any live theatre performances either.
So, instead, after a year dedicated to as much research as was feasibly possible, the theatre collective decided to re-visit some old angsty friends, and to see how Liam, Ethan and Adam, from the first staged show by the theatre collective; An Ode to Teen Angst, were doing and also to see some new faces too - all thanks to the power of the internet.
An Ode to Teen Angst: The COVID Chronicles infects itself online!
Every Friday throughout April 2021
Every Friday throughout the month of April, An Ode to Teen Angst: The COVID Chronicles was released to the public via the collective's Facebook and Instagram (through IGTV) pages.
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This short mini-series was spread out into four episodes where audiences re-visited some familiar characters and also some new ones too. Where possible, accessibility was also provided through the use of subtitles and closed captioning.
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This mini-series was done entirely remotely (and during a pandemic!), which included writing the script, rehearsing said script, filming, editing, music creation, subtitling and so on and was made possible thanks to the hard work of the collective's members, as well as, the internet.
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It was also made on an incredibly shoe stringed budget and was all made thanks to some incredible patience and hard work. This mini-series was made to experiment with trying to create something whilst working from home, at the same time creating something from the ground up, to not only teach and grow as a collective of creatives, but in addition, entertaining the collective's loyal followers.
Hello, Just Another Collective and 'buongiorno' L-Aħħar Siġra!
Throughout 2021 and from 19th to 28th November 2021
Although the world was still being affected a year in by the COVID-19 pandemic, that didn't stop an awesome collaboration between the collective and Just Another Collective, with support from ŻiguŻajg and Studio 18 Malta, to brew.
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After months and months of careful planning, meetings, read-throughs, script changes, auditions, rehearsals and ideas forming left, right and centre, L-Aħħar Siġra was ready to be shown to a live, physical audience, and a younger generation of theatre audience members too.
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Based on a concept and a 'what-if' situation, with inspiration from countless articles constantly being written about Malta's fragile environment and ecosystem being threatened by greed and bureaucracy and with a little help from a book titled; Id-dar ta' faċċata by Carmel Borg, the story of Jamie, Alda and a cast of other characters was performed to live audience members during the ŻiguŻajg festival for Children and Young People.
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Audiences praising the story for it's "hard-hitting piece of political youth theatre", L-Aħħar Siġra's goal of being first and foremost a social commentary on the current environmental crisis was nothing short of inspirational for many audience members visiting the festival during November.
2022.
Ssshh, quiet. We're relaxing (and working)!
Throughout 2022
After a busy 2021 and semi-stressful year for everyone with the pandemic and the world slowly getting back into gear, 2022 was decided to be a sort of 'relaxation period' for the ĦM team to decompose from the busy year, research and develop a bit more and work on other projects independently from ĦM.
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However, that did not stop the team for thinking and planning ahead for the new year and with a somewhat different production in the pipeline, something quite small in fact - some may even compare it to an islet of some sorts...
2023.
Ħassle Mejjet is five years old!
Throughout 2023
Times flies when you're having fun and that was certainly the case with the theatre collective with over five years of creating theatre for numerous audiences. Throughout 2023, events and celebrations marking the theatre collective's fifth anniversary (or ĦM 5 as it was known) were planned out to celebrate with the theatre collective's audiences and creatives who've helped keep the collective on it's feet for all these years!
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These events and celebrations were made to mark five years of the theatre collective since it's first show; An Ode to Teen Angst which was performed for one-night only to a sold out audience way back in 2018!
Fancying a sweet treat?
14th February 2023
This was the first of our ĦM 5 events, which was a bake sale in aid of our upcoming (and soon-to-be-announced) production!
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Our stand was found on Quad at the University of Malta campus during Valentine’s Day in which you could treat your nearest and dearest to a well-deserved sweet treat.
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We also collaborated with a couple of awesome local artists to bring some gorgeous, handmade Valentine’s cards; which were also available to be purchased from our stand!
An evening full of cabaret!
13th April 2023
Up next on the list of ĦM 5 celebrations was a classic cabaret night celebrating some of Ħassle Mejjet’s past shows, collaborators, and achievements
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We raided the incredible peeps over at Storeroom for an evening of drinks, banter, and some good-old ĦM nostalgia, as we took a trip down memory lane and revisited Ħassle Mejjet’s previous theatrical endeavours.
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We also got a taste of our then soon-to-be-announced upcoming show…
An evening of fun, trivia, and friendly competition!
25th May 2023
The third event on our ĦM 5 celebrations was a night of brain teasers and exciting challenges, as teams competed to become the ultimate champions of this quiz night extravaganza.
With a variety of categories and questions, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
Whilst grabbing a drink and a bite to eat at the wonderful Balzunetta Gastropub while people strategized with their team and tried to outsmart the competition…
Gathering friends around and getting ready to put their thinking caps on for a night to remember!
It's time to tombla!
1st July 2023
The fourth event on our ĦM 5 celebrations was a night of unforgettable fun at The Anvil Pub!
Indulging in a thrilling combination of traditional tombla games and a lively boozy atmosphere, made it an event you would't wanted to have missed.
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Whether you were a tombla enthusiast, a lover of great drinks, or simply seeking a memorable night out with friends, this tombla bash promised an exhilarating experience that would leave you wanting more.
Let's take a trip to Filfla!
From 26th to 27th August 2023
On the 26th and 27th August at the Concert Hall within the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta, audiences took a satirical trip to Filfla in Popolazzjoni: 4!
‘Popolazzjoni: 4' followed 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.
FINAL GOAL.
What is Ħassle Mejjet's final goal?
Ħassle Mejjet is, was and will always be an experiment.
An experiment in trying to stage a production from the ground up by young theatre creatives.
Although making a profit is nice, when you think about it, and helps the theatre collective even more, that is not the primary goal and focus of the group.
The primary goal is to experiment in new forms of creating theatre and innovating each production, with An Ode to Teen Angst; it was our mission to stage an independent production whilst also trying out adaptation with previously released material.
For Pandora; it was our mission to try and stage an even bigger independent production, in a proper theatre, with a budget and as an original new work.
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With An Ode to Teen Angst: The COVID Chronicles, although it was something we were not planning on doing - nor did we anticipate for a global pandemic to take over everyone's life, we used this opportunity to create something different for the collective and to fill in that void of not being able to create theatre that we had so desperately been wanting to do.
With L-Aħħar Siġra, it's goal was to portray a social commentary piece for younger audience members about the current state of the world's environmental crisis that's being faced by billions of people worldwide, as well as, in Malta itself. Whilst also collaborating with another theatre group and being commissioned by a well-known children's festival on the Maltese islands.
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With Popolazzjoni: 4, the collective wanted to go back down to its roots and create a theatrical piece that is funny, doesn't take itself too seriously but still keeps that overarching message, in this case, those being: hyper-capitalism, environmental negligence and overdevelopment.
In the near future, the theatre collective would like to experiment with a slew of other forms of creating theatre, such as with staging already published pieces, doing site specific theatre, and so much more.
Ħassle Mejjet has also laid the foundations and actively encourages other young people to take risks, try out new things and explore the beautiful, vast and vibrant world of theatre and the creative arts.
Without taking risks, nothing will change.
It will be a lot of work, it will be stressful, but it will be beneficial in the long run.
Creating relevance in a world full of chaos.