ZOO goes TV

'Minghajr Flus, minghajr flus
ghalxejn jiprova jaqbadni l-gharus
ghax minghajr flus, minghajr flus
la tghannaq u l-anqas tbus'

these are some of the lyrics from the latest version of ‘On again Off again’ of Julie and Ludwig as interpreted in maltese by the crew of Zoo, which yesterday I had the chance to watch it being sung at the MCC theater in Ta’Qali.

Julie and Ludwig where not the only famous people who where victimized, but even the people watching the show were brought up on stage and been called names. The gang of zoo even had fun taking the piss and mistreating them or throwing them out of the theatre without any reason.

Putting aside that the show started 20 minutes late, the large amount of adverts that make you feel like you are not in a theatre but in front of a TV watching some local channels, an uncomfortable seat that was not even big enough for a child to fit in and that some of the gigs were very vulgar and I don’t find vulgar words or vulgar gestures funny, I have to admit that it was lovely show.

I arrived early as usual (I’m nuts about right timing), but I enjoyed the TV tunes that were being played most of them were themes of sit-coms and programs which we used to watch in the 80’s and it was fun the game that my beautiful guest and I were playing, by trying to guess to which show each song belonged to. She was very tired after a long day at work but that did not hinder her from guessing a couple of tunes. It brings a kind of nostalgia listening to Dallas and Dynasty tune and remembering being forced to go to sleep before these two shows began , the A-team, Riptide Chips (she guessed this one)and Miami Vice and loads more which I can’t remember all. It would have been nice if in the selection they included also some cartoons tunes which during those days we could only watch on the Italian channels.

The show was meant to be 2 hours long but since they started late and there were more than 45 minutes worth of adverts, the performance finished at quarter past midnight, but even if this made the act feel very dragging these four friends have a special way of producing a remarkable stand up from very stupid things like in this particular case, nowadays very tasteless TV programs.

My favorite artists of the gang is Sander, he has an amazing way of getting in the characters he is representing with ease. (I loved his version of a man on relief and on smoke from Isla) His facial expressions are enough to make you cry with laughter.

Claire whom I only got to know as a presenter of programs with more serious subjects puts a feminine touch to the act which is required or else the scenes will be dull if they are dominated with just the three male protagonists. Zoo reminds me a lot of the Italian trio Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo, when Marina Massironi joined the team, but I do beleive that zoo gang have a long way to go before coming close to these actors and their acts, but they are on the right path.

I enjoyed reading the Zoomag which even if again most of the pages where adverts (at least it’s free) it was nice to read what the members wrote about the theme. Most of the squad member is my age and they brought a lot of good memoirs with what they have written because they used to watch the same good stuff that our generation used to see on TV (The good old massive brown Grundig Ta’Mintoff)

4 young people, 4 people who are gifted with talent, liveliness and a straight in your face kind of humor which even made the boring seats under the ‘it-Tinda’ cry with laughter. I look forward to their next show in summer, as they said before a long break, hoping that by that time they will be rich enough to afford not having to put so many advertisements during their performances.

P.S. a very beautiful gesture was the promotion of YMCA homeless campaign by the means of a leaflet inside the mag and by being asked to donate some money at the end of the show