Patrick Vella - Founder & Director

Patrick founded Curtain Raiser Theatre Troupe in 2002.  He trained his profession mainly in UK.  He received his MA in Theatre Directing from Middlesex University, MA in Theatre Education - Drama in Education from Loughborough University and Certificate in Theatre Studies from Rose Bruford College.  He also received LTCL in Applied Drama, Performer's Certificate in Musical Theatre and Professional Certificate in Performing Arts from Trinity College, London. 

He practiced Performing Arts for three years at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts in UK. Although he works mainly in Malta, he performed and gave workshops in various foreign countries such as China, India, Belarus, Austria, Germany, UK, Hungary, Poland and Belguim amongst others.

Patrick performed in  various genres of theatre, from Physical Theatre to Musical Theatre, from TV drama to Straight Theatre plays. 

Currently, Patrick is Producing, Directing and Performing.  He also prepares students to sit for Trinity & Guildhall  examinations and LAMDA examinations.  He creates various Theatre In Education Programmes including Forum Theatre.

 

Marcelle Bonnici - Operations

Marcelle joined Curtain Raiser in January 2003 and shortly started working in the Operations Department. 

She has performed in several shows and musicals such as Les Miserable in Concert, The King and I, Sister Act, Musicall, Cabaretic, Disney Tunes, Drakula ... the rock opera, Grease, Disney ReTuned, Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh and In Search of the Missing Reindeer amongst others.  She also participated in various workshops mainly organized by Curtain Raiser Theatre Troupe.

Marcelle achieved Performer's Certificate in Musical Theatre from Trinity College (London).

 
 

Abigail Williams     - Activities

Abigail Williams     joined Curtain Raiser back in 2005 after having returned back from her studies in the performing arts industry in the UK. Whilst in the UK Abigail trained up to degree level gaining a BA(Hons) in performing arts from the university of Hertfordshire, as well as her Associate in Freestyle Dance with IDTA.
Abigail has performed in various shows both in Malta and abroad all varying in genres ranging from Musical Theatre to straight acting. Her musical credits include Once Upon A toy, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Disney Retuned, Grease, Pal Joey, Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh and In Search of the Missing Reindeer amongst others, whilst her theatre credits include The Tempest, The Taming of The Shrew, The Venetian Twins, Silly Cow, Popcorn, and Cinderella Confidential only to mention a few.
As well as her theatrical credits, Abigail has also worked extensively in Theatre In Education as well as Forum theatre, something which she helps to delegate with Curtain Raiser together with other animation work which the company has to offer, such as kids' parties. 
 
Abigail's Forum theatre experiences have even led her to lead a Forum theatre workshop and performance in Thessaloniki Greece together with the Malta Drama Centre.
 
Abigail has also now had her TV debut on the local romantic comedy series KC playing the part of Dr Karen Caruana.

Andrew Vella     - Set Decorating

Andrew has been creating props and building sets for more than thirty years.  This experience and together with his knowledge makes him a trustworthy person on which Curtain Raiser can turn to when custom-made props and sets for theatre productions are needed.

He has assisted the company in Props and Set Building as from its very beginning in 2002 in mainly all the productions and events that have run so far.

 Andrew has also worked extensively in this Department with other theatre companies and cultural organisations both in Malta as well as abroad.

 

 
 

Ruth Farrugia     - Assistant Set Decorating

Ruth has been involved as a performer mainly in Curtain Raiser musical productions Musicall, Voice the Soul, Cabaretic, Disney Tunes, Grease in Xmas Concert, Drakula, Queen, Once Upon A Toy, In Search of the Missing Reindeer and Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh.   This is accredited to her ATCL in Musical Theatre (Trinity Guidhall) examination results.

She has recently joined the troupe in the Set and Props Department which constantly supplies the company with all that is needed for productions as well as other events.

Ruth is currently training in circus skills and performing arts and also completing her exams in LTCL Musical Theatre.

 
 

Dorothy Ebejer - Costumes and Wardrobe Mistress

Dorothy’s expertise has flourished over the past six months with Curtain Raiser – from sewing tips to creating some of the most spectacular costumes Curtain Raiser has to offer.

 

 

 
 

Abigail Brown - Music Director

Abigail Brown started playing the piano at the age of 4 and at 13 years she started playing the keyboards with her father’s band. Works she played in include A Tribute to Hollywood Musicals (1996); The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (1997); Millennium Concert (1999); The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber 3 (2001) as well as a large number of concerts in which she accompanied various Maltese singers.  In 2003 she joined Curtain Raiser Theatre Troupe in Dramadirekt, a 12 day workshop based on the interaction of Drama and Music together held in Vienna.  2003 saw the assembly of Curtain Raiser band with their first concert Musicall under the direction of Patrick Vella.  From then on Abigail was Music Director for Cabaretic (2004); Voice the Soul (2004); Disney Tunes (2004); Drakula the Musical (2005); Queen …Once Upon a Lifetime (2005); Queen Tribute (Independence Festivities 2005); Grease in Xmas Concert (2005)  Musicals in Cabaret (Independence Festivities 2006) Disney in Concert (Indifest 2007), Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh and In Search of the Missing Reindeer.

She is currently studying Music studies at the University of Malta.