Photo by Mere Words Photography
School of Performing Arts
Lectures by Dr Paul Fryer
The Theatre Studies Department of the School of Performing Arts (University of Malta) is proud
to host a series lectures by Dr Paul Fryer, Lecturer and Associate Director of Research at Rose
Bruford College (Kent, England). With an international profile as a researcher and lecturer, Dr Fryer
specialises in the connection between opera, opera singers and the early (pre-sound) film industry.
Dr Fryer will give three lectures between the 11th and 14th February. The first lecture (11th; 18:0020:00, Venue: GW Hall D1) reflects on ‘Stanislavski on Stage’, and is based on the photographic
collection of the Stanislavski Centre Archive at Rose Bruford College. The archive holds more than
200 photographs from Moscow Art Theatre productions between 1899 and 1921, including seven
productions which represent Stanislavski’s work as an actor, director and producer.
The second lecture (12th; 15:00-17:00, Venue: GW Hall D1), titled ‘Shakespeare and the Silent Film
(or Romeo and Juliet in three and a half minutes)’, explores the adaptation of Shakespeare’s plays
to the cinematic media. Extracts from some early examples of Shakespeare on film will be shown
to elaborate on what these early movies tell us about nineteenth- and twentieth-century acting
techniques, and what happens to Shakespeare’s classic texts when the spoken word is removed.
The third and final lecture (14th; 10:00-12:00, Venue: LC 120) is on ‘Chaliapin and Ivan the Terrible’,
and includes a restored version of the rare 1915 silent film, The Maid of Pskov/Ivan the Terrible.
This movie was based loosely upon Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera, Pskovityanka, and starred one of
the most influential singer-actors of his time, the Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin. The film has
been restored with new English-language inter-titles and an original orchestral score by the British
composer, Barry Seaman. The restoration was directed by Dr Fryer, in collaboration with the State
Museum of Theatre and Music in St Petersburg, Russia.
These sessions should be particularly stimulating to anyone interested in the multi-faceted nature
of performance, especially the interdisciplinary relation between theatre, drama, film, opera, song,
and dance. All sessions will be followed by a brief discussion.
For more information kindly contact stefan.aquilina@um.edu.mt