Theatre Makers to perform 'Tales to Tell at Midnight' radio play for Cancer Relief

A cast of eight will perform six radio plays with the theme of Halloween next week at Ince’s Hall.

Theatrical company Theatre Makers’ production of 'Tales to Tell at Midnight' is a series of short spooky stories with all proceeds going towards Cancer Relief Centre Gibraltar.

Its director, Andrew Dark, shared that his motivation and journey towards the upcoming radio play fundraiser was to honour the memory of a close friend who succumbed to cancer earlier this year.

Mr Dark has a rich history in radio shows, and he finds radio plays to be an effective way to bring together a diverse and talented cast without the need for extensive rehearsals given the time restraints many people have on their lives.

However, that does not mean rehearsals have not been taken place and the cast have been rehearsing for the past two weeks.

The cast are Chloe Annem, Kaigan Garcia, Harry Kumar, Karen Lawson, Anthony Loddo, Tony Loddo, RoseAnn Victor and Jackie Villa.

Mr Dark reflected on how radio shows were so big years ago and it was where numerous of people got their enjoyment. It was thought that with the invention of the internet, audio would disappear. However, he said the opposite has happened.

The popularity of audio entertainment in the form of podcasts, audio books, and radio plays has proven there is a still a desire for audio.

These productions enable actors to focus solely on their voices, offering a captivating experience for both performers and the audience, he explained.

The plays being performed are ‘The Mark of the Beast' by Rudyard Kipling; ‘The Canterville Ghost’ by Oscar Wilde; ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ by Edgar Allan Poe; ‘The Possibility of Evil’ and ‘What a Thought’ by Shirley Jackson, and ‘From Beyond’ by H. P. Lovecraft.

“We want to raise money, that is the whole purpose of it, but we also want to entertain. We produce in order to give back to the community that's part certainly of what Jackie and I have done for many years,” said Mr Dark.

“It's just sheer enjoyment. You sit back and just listen.”

He also explained that it isn't one actor playing one role and that the eight play a whole myriad of different roles.

“We've gender-swapped some of the characters as well, so women are playing what would have been male roles, etc,” said Mr Dark.

“And swapping more characters so I don't have to hire another four or five people just to go ‘Are you man and wife?’. Somebody just jumps in and does that one little line.”

“People enjoy it because they get that they're not having to use their bodies. And they're having to explore the use of their voices.”

One cast member, Jackie Villa, shared that she had initial nervousness but now has growing excitement about performing in the radio play.

Ms Villa, who is an integral part of the team, has multiple roles, including narrating for one of the stories.

The actors will be donning their evening attire, adding a touch of 1940s nostalgia to the performances.

The plays will be performed on both Wednesday and Thursday October 25 and 26 at 8pm in Ince’s Hall.