Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1085429
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 FEBRUARY 2019 5 THIS WEEK THEATRE in that the character feels abandoned by God and cannot mouth prayers any longer. And there I had it… a play cre- ated by music. Why did you decide to concentrate on political violence in Malta as the core subject matter of the work? How was this informed by your experience of Malta in particular? The play is not about political vio- lence, no, not at all. The play is about a woman in Malta. Yes, sometimes there is violence, but most mentions of violence in the play are references to domestic violence – abusive fa- thers and husbands. But you cannot talk about recent Maltese political his- tory without mentioning things like 19 car bombs since 2010, and the torch- ing of the Times of Malta building, and the fact that police have to stand between rival bands in village festas, and a young girl was blown up in her home at Christmas opening a package addressed to her father. And Malta is a nation in which men with guns ride roughshod over the countryside and natural law. Oh yes – I forgot – and a female jour- nalist was blown up in Malta just over a year ago and her makeshift memorial was constantly attacked. But the play is not about political violence. It is a play about a very clever little girl who has dreams and realises that things that of- ten happen should not happen. And she realises that what stands be- tween her and what she can become is an army of men intent on running the country as if it were their private domain. It is a play about a European capital city littered with great statues of men with not a woman to be cel- ebrated – except for Queen Victoria. So, no, the play is not about political violence. The play is also about grow- ing old! It drinks from the same reser- voir as [Samuel Beckett's] Krapp's Last Tape in that sense. As an outsider looking in, how do you perceive the more tense and/or secretive aspects of Maltese society, and how adequate and revelatory was the research period for 'Apotheosis' on this front? I learn more every day. I learn from my neighbours. I learn from people in the pub. I learn from people in shops. I learn about people losing their homes after 18 or 20 or 30 years because un- scrupulous landlords shove them out to make more money for themselves. I see foreigners accosted in the street and on buses. I see empty garages and shops being rented out for domestic use by landlords exploiting refugees. I see empty shops and houses on the high street, rotting away because the owners cannot agree on what to do with them. I see lovely traditional fam- ily houses knocked down to be turned into dreadful tiny flats. I see a fake university and a 'smart city' take over land and buildings which should be developed for public good. I see cranes everywhere. I see the sky and the light and sea views stolen by new towers for rich foreigners. My research is around me every day. And I do not have to do much research to see that women have little access to the political processes here – fewer women in government than in most other EU countries. And I ask myself why? Why do Maltese peo- ple allow their leaders to do this? What do you make of your collaborators on this play, and how does it feel to have your script fleshed out by them? It is great working with Marc Cabour- din and Annalisa Schembri! They are really wonderful. Chris Gatt has been amazing to talk to. Karmen Azzopardi is extraordinarily inspiring. Jo Caruana and her team are great to work with. And Angele Galea! She is a spiritual ac- tor of huge talent! She understood the script from the first read! She is going to be amazing! Given that 'Apotheosis' was given a new surge of relevance in the wake of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, what do you hope audiences will get out of the production? Do you hope it will lead to reflection, catharsis, or both? It is extraordinary that the research for the writing of the play predicted the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia. But it has proven to me that the potential for political violence in Malta is just under the surface. What do I hope for the audience? I hope that they think after and dur- ing the play! I hope that they laugh! I hope that they cry. Dolores has taken over my life, and I now see the world through her eyes. I hope that the au- dience has very mixed emotions in the end – that they understand what Do- lores does. I hope that the audience is moved. I hope that the audience has a huge catharsis and a huge cause to think and reflect. And I hope that they stay and talk about what the play has to say! I still get chills and shivers in parts. And I know that Marc said he cried three times reading it. And I know that Angele had to fight through tears to read to the end of one scene about a ladies' day out in a pool. That is the power of stories. We learn through parables. And we need complicated stories to help keep us asking questions. What do you make of the local theatrical scene? What would you change about it? I have spent my life in theatre and it means a lot to me. I am not sure if the Maltese theatre scene excites me. I do not think that the Arts Council has a real policy for theatre, and they seem to fund the same people making the same mistakes over and over again. I don't get it! Maltese actors are very good but badly served by the directors. It is sad. Both the actors and audiences often get cheated. There is little room for new ideas. What's next for you? I have four more plays to develop. Firstly there is Baghdad Lady – about a Maltese woman in her 30s/40s who becomes homeless and ends up living in an abandoned car. In order to travel the streets with anonymity, she starts to wear a burkha so that neither her family or friends see her – such is the tragic weight of being homeless Malta. Disengaged from everyday life, she sees Malta as if watching through the wrong end of a telescope. The next is Annabella, Chopin and Liszt about a crazy Maltese lady who has a late night shopping channel and becomes all evangelical and mindful – combining shopping, household ideas, and her new religion, in which Chopin and Liszt speak to us all through their music. Then there is The Maid of Two Mis- tresses which is a modern Maltese fe- male take on Servant of Two Masters – set in Sliema. The last is The Pastizzi King – a musical about an aspiring pastizzi maker and his hairdresser wife – set in Hamrun – in which the hero seeks fame and fortune by be- ing crowned Malta's King of Pastizzi as long as the public never figures out what his secret ingredient is. You will never eat one again! And I am setting up a series of work- shops for theatre makers, directors and performers – trying to pass on 50 years of experience to a new generation and creating some theatre events to push the art form in new directions, in an international context. Apotheosis will be staged at Spazju Kreattiv at St James Cavalier, Valletta on March 7-10; 14-17 at 8pm, with an additional matinee show on March 13 at 2pm. Bookings: https://www.kreat- tivita.org/. The play is supported by the Malta Council for Voluntary Services Small Initiatives Fund. "Maltese actors are very good - but badly served by the directors. It is sad" woman John Baraldi