André Aġius
Biography
André is an Edinburgh-Based Maltese Theatre Director and Dramaturg, currently reading for an MFA in Directing from Edinburgh Napier University, under the mentorship of Mark Thomson and May Sumbwanyambe. Born and raised in Malta, André started training in acting from the young age of four, and started to work in the industry at the age of seven. After gaining a Diploma in Speech and Drama from Trinity (UK), he furthered his studies at Rose Bruford College (UK), Odin Teatret (Denmark) and the Facing-the-Gap Workshops (Budapest). He started acting in prominent roles both locally and internationally in theatre and film, experiencing, first-hand, the different approaches, processes and scenarios different directors applied to their work, unknowingly supplying him with the confidence and tools he would need when starting to direct. Reading for a BA (Hons) in Theatre Studies at the University of Malta, provided a theoretical backbone to the practical side. Following his undergraduate degree, André decided to shift towards directing. He approached established Maltese theatre company MADC with a proposal to direct David Hare’s Skylight. Though risky, the staging of Skylight was a critical and commercial success. He was then commissioned by Malta’s National Theatre Company – Teatru Malta, as the first director of the Young Director’s Programme, to direct a Maltese translation of Harold Pinter’s The Hot House – “Is-Serra”. The success and innovative approach to the production established his position as an early-career director. Other directing credits include: ‘Peer Gynt’ for Malta’s Philharmonic Orchestra, ‘Il-Kantilena’ for Arts Council Malta at the Sharjah Heritage Days in Dubai and most recently, working on dramaturgy with the National Dance Company – Żfin Malta. His Arts Management experiences include: ‘Assistant to the Artistic Director of CHOGM 2016’ and ‘Assistant Festival Coordinator’ within the EFFE labelled ‘ŻiguŻajg International Theatre Festival’. During the 2020 edition of Malta’s ‘National Arts Awards’, André was awarded the ‘Young Artist of the Year’; while the play, ‘2.0 Watts in the Dark’, which he devised and directed, won the ‘Audience Choice Award’. Whether it is new writing or classical, André is interested in work which feels urgent, honest and relevant; with a directing style that has a strong commitment to experimentation, playfulness and risk-taking. The focus is on investigating and exposing the authenticity within the subtext and dramaturgy of the piece, complimented by an emphasis on visual agility and magic realism