Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/929711
maltatoday SUNDAY 21 JANUARY 2018 IV Valletta 2018 LIFE often feels like a show straight out of the Manoel Thea- tre. We see theatre in the streets as men rush to their offices on a Monday morning; we see it as old women bicker over the last carton of milk at the supermar- ket; we see it as boys mourn the loss of a mother, and we see it as two players fight over a ball on the pitch like their life depends on it. Everywhere is a stage if you look hard enough, and everything happening within it, a spectacle worth viewing. When Sean Buhagiar took on the role of artistic director of Teatru Malta in 2016, it was up to him the shape the course of this infant company's future. It was decided that 2017 would be dedicated to listening to local audiences and asking them what they actually wanted to see more of and where they envisioned seeing it take place. Workshops and initiatives of diverse shapes and forms were held in the hopes of getting closer to the communities that Teatru Malta considered to be the heart and soul of the Maltese cultural sector; thus help- ing build the pediment of this thoughtfully curated programme of events for 2018. Teatru Malta is making shows for everyone; people of all ages and from all walks of life, in theatres and outside them, in streets, schools, piazzas and band clubs. The very first show? Il-Qarċilla, l-Għarusa Kar- fusa which will tour Malta and Gozo's streets during the colour- ful Carnival season; the very first Qarċilla written by a woman since its inception in 1760. Teatru Malta will then take one straight to the stage of a world renowned Commedia dell'Arte master, in Il-Klassi tas- Surmast: Claudia Contin Arlecchino where a masterclass workshop and performance will ensue in honour of UNESCO's World Day for Commedia dell'Arte. Raymond ''Fight'' Beck is the perfect show this March for those who prefer a good old boxing match between rivals. Discover what the Għanejja had to say many moons ago in Ilħna Mitlufa. From the most maddening depths of Pinter's Hothouse, to the revival of Francis Ebejer's Boulevard; operettas for feast enthusiasts in Il-Madonna Tiegħi aħjar minn Tiegħek, to touring operas for children with the coolest cats in town in Il-Qtates ta' max-Xatt; a Game with a British writer and a Unifaun, to the recollections of bird songs from the son of a bird trapper's childhood in Nassaba - Song of a Bird and Christmas Pantomimes in the Dark, this is clearly a one-size-fits-all kind of programme. Anyone interested to learn more is invited to like Teatru Malta on facebook and and fol- low them on www.teatrumalta.org.mt. When life gives you spaces, make theatre!