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9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 JUNE 2019 LITERATURE ENVIRONMENT Most of our spring flowers have by now seeded or wilted, and the countryside slowly turns the earthy umber tones of summer. Apart from the pink-lilac splashes where wild thyme grows, very little else in the way of colour is in evi- dence. But here and there along some country lanes and field edges the wavy-leaved mullein (M. xatbet l-andar) stands out. Never particularly common, these plants brave the mounting heat and in return they get to flaunt their wares with very little competition about. Rising on a slen- der stem with several spindly branches, this elegant plant opens a profusion of butter-yellow flowers with brownish- red middle, and leaves with the wavy edge that give the plant its name. Here's hoping they don't fall victim to our enthusiastic roadside desertification brigade with their in- fernal herbicides and grass cutters. Text and Photo: Victor Falzon 665. WAVY-LEAVED MULLEIN Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 563: Book your seat at: www.foemalta.org/film THIS July Teatru Malta to- gether with the Malta Inter- national Arts Festival will be presenting the highly an- ticipated summer production POPE JOAN at the Mdina Ditch on the 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the month. Directed by German born Irene Christ, this show, which forms part of the highly antic- ipated Summer festival, will mark her return to directing locally since 2008's smash hit Tattoo by Dea Loher. Christ is no stranger to the local the- atre scene and has been work- ing as both an actress and di- rector here and overseas for a number of years. This exciting open air show, has been in the works for months with lead actress Maria Buckle rehearsing to- gether with the rest of the talented cast to tell the story of a prodigy who chooses to defy all odds by challenging the highly conservative male dominated society she was born into. Joan is a defiant and determined female, who will stop at nothing to acquire the knowledge she's been so unfairly denied. Why? Because she was a woman, a woman who refused to concede to the constraints that were imposed upon her. Instead she focused on learn- ing to read behind her father's back by disguising herself as a boy to further her learning at a monastery where she'd be accepted as a male monk until eventually becoming, as legend has it the first and only female Pope to have ever lived. Christ is no stranger to tack- ling hot topics like feminism, gender identity or religion so we're all on our toes to see how she intends on inter- preting this piece based on the novel by Donna Woolfolk Cross in the stage version by Susanne Felicitas Wolf. This premiere will mark the first time this sensational produc- tion will be performed in Eng- lish, and what a star studded cast to do it. Antonella Axisa, Chris Galea, Faye Paris, Alan Paris, Mikhail Basmadjian, Alex Weenink, Michael Mangion, Joe Depasquale, Stephen Mintoff and Peter Galea will all have main parts along with the youngest actors, Ileana Sammut, Julian Zammit and Miguel Azzopardi with cos- tumes and production design by Joachim Hamster Damm. Pope Joan is made pos- sible with the support of Festivals Malta, The Malta International Arts Festival, Arts Council Malta under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice Culture and Local Government, the Restoration Directorate Rehabilitation Project, Goethe Institute, U.S Embassy and The German Maltese Circle. Shows will begin at 8.30pm and are suitable for audiences over the age of 14. For tick- ets and more information on Pope Joan visit kultura.mt. The secret on her lips Pope Joan Author: Rita Saliba IN these stories lies the vicious power of the wind and the gentle touch of the breeze. There are stories of others, narratives of the pain and disappointment in love, rela- tionships and abnormal situations. We meet with characters who wish to preserve their love all to themselves. Child- hood fears entwine with stories of taunting dolls and angels. There are humorous stories but also oth- ers that have a surprising finish. The collective stories contain a variety of narratives: although at instances things may be gleaming, most of the times they disclose what appears to be rough and dull... just like satin. 'Satin'