This April 19th to 21st Teatru Manoel and TOI TOI present their Annual Easter Concert for the whole family, with this year’s theme being ‘The History of Boy Band Music’ in a nostalgic celebration from Boyzone to BTS.

We chatted to Kate Fenech Field, TOI TOI’s Programme Manager and director of ‘The Boy Band Chronicles’, to learn more about the show.

Over the years, the TOI TOI Easter concerts have covered a wide variety of themes that make music accessible to people of all ages — what inspired you to go with this theme for 2025?

“That is certainly true, the first TOI TOI Easter concert was in collaboration with the Big Band Brothers, inevitably covering big band classics and including a healthy amount of songs from different eras. Over the years we have covered a number of topics, all with built-in learning moments but most importantly all designed to be accessible, fun and a great big singalong. The reformation or reuniting of beloved bands from our tweens and teens has existed since bands were invented; we were inspired by a visit to the Edinburgh Fringe, watching a new comedy about the history of NSYNC, which ignited a conversation about superfans and the power of teen-focused music to evoke memories of the past. Through some of the greatest singalong hits of the last sixty years, we are going to offer the chance to make new memories together with the newly formed TOI TOI Boy Band in our beautiful theatre.” 

How does ‘The Boy Band Chronicles’ fit into the overall ethos and aim of the TOI TOI Learning and Participation programme?

“The remit of the Learning & Participation Programme is to educate and entertain - we do so by infusing all our work with accessible elements. Sometimes this can mean choosing pop or contemporary works already known to the audience, or characters we think we already know. We have had some success in taking an original format and exploring the structure or history of it in a new way, for example our introduction to String Instruments, Once Upon a String, uses Fairy Tales and a wide range of music genres to teach children about the sound and look of different string instruments. All our work has this approach, from the Baby Series to our Singalong Seniors project, we are striving to reach all audiences and, yes, that does include the parents, grandparents and everyone in between.”

Do you have a favourite boy band? Or a favourite song from the concert?

“I may be giving away my age by revealing my favourite band! What I find relatable is that we all have a favourite band whose music instantly takes us back to our youth! The music in The Boy Band Chronicles covers a vast expanse of musical styles from The Beatles to BTS. We should point out that our Boy Band is most definitely not all boys, this show will feature the full spectrum of voice types. But in answer to your question I do have a favourite song, a very special song to many of us, ‘You Raise Me Up’, made famous by Westlife – with Take That’s ‘SHINE’ a close second. All our Easter shows are family-friendly and this year is no exception, there will be a lot of fun to be shared with the children over the course of the show.”

The TOI TOI Annual Easter Concert offers a space in the calendar for all the family to join together in a collective experience, bringing the older and younger members of our community into one space to enjoy live music in Malta’s beautiful National Theatre. Previous concerts have covered a variety of themes such as musical theatre and opera that provided musical entertainment that can be enjoyed by different generations, making it the perfect event for all the family. This year, they’re dialling up the nostalgia with a boy band theme. The TOI TOI ‘boy band’ will perform an incredible line-up, singing hit after fabulous hit, accompanied by a live orchestra led by Maestro Edward Mifsud, with choreography by Warren Bonello and overall direction by Kate Fenech Field.

This TOI TOI Easter Concert, recommended for anyone aged 5 and up, explores the history of boy bands and popular music with a special twist. The TOI TOI Boy Band features eight incredible theatre performers, some of whom are seasoned performers and others who are just bursting onto the scene: Michaela Agius, Rambert Attard, Andrew Buhagiar, Luigi Buhagiar, Faye Mallia, Tezara Saliba, Neville Refalo and Noel Zarb. They will be accompanied by an orchestral ensemble, and each desk will include a young musician, as part of TOI TOI’s drive to give Main Stage performance opportunities to young artists. The event’s programme will include music by beloved boy bands as well as some Musical Easter Eggs which fall under a slightly different category.

‘The Boy Band Chronicles’ will take place at Teatru Manoel on the 19th, 20th, and 21st of April. Tickets can be purchased online, from the Box Office, or by calling (+356) 21246389. Till then, stay updated via Teatru Manoel's Facebook page!