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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 OCTOBER 2022 4 THEATRE MaltaToday speaks to actress Marceline Galea, who plays Sor Wistina in Immanuel Mifsud's free adaptation of Gużè Diacono's mystic play L-Għarusa this October at the Knight's Armoury in Birgu Tell us about your character - who is Sor Wistina? Sor Wistina is a mid-30's nun who has sworn herself to the monastery after experiencing the tragic event of losing the love of her life. She tortures and blames herself for being unable to save her boyfriend from drowning and remains traumatised to the extent that she relives this event on a daily basis. At the mon- astery she is a friend to all, but shares a special bond with Tu- teppi, the gardener. Clearly suf- fering from PTSD, she projects her past passion shared with her lover to the mystic relationship she now believes she shares with Jesus. Suor Wistina is described as being kind and loving by her fellow nuns. Diacono gives Sor Wistina an interesting character contrast in this theatre piece- she has several reflective mo- ments displaying resilience and patience, yet we also get to see her fervent passionate demea- nor. Is it the first time you've ever worked with Immanuel Mifsud? Describe your experience I first met Immanuel on the set of Faith, Hope and Charity and together with my co-actors, had the opportunity to bring to life characters that depicted not only the way of life of the Mal- tese people during WWII but also the complex raw emotions that gave the same characters a unique soul. I remember being mesmerised by his writings. Al- though being a world-celebrated author, Immanuel strikes me as being one of the most humble people I have ever met. Work- ing with him has been a welcome novelty, in the way we transform the script into a performance. He gave us the opportunity to bring to the table our ideas and build on them together. It has been a team-based process which felt immensely creative and collaborative, yet he was there every step of the way, with his sharp observation, to give the performance the finesse that such a piece requires. This play is a short one act, why do you feel people would find it entertaining? Let's start by saying that what this play lacks in terms of time- span, is compensated in intensi- ty. Those coming to experience this theatre piece are not com- ing for the plot twist since the story has already been staged and screened a few times in the past decades. They come to ex- perience the beauty of a Mal- tese classic piece written in the 1960's which illustrates human struggle and mental turmoil; still very relevant today. They'll come to savour the new embel- lishment that the stellar produc- tion team, including Immanuel Mifsud and Austin Camilleri have so skilfully given it. They come to have a glimpse of what happens behind the mysterious locked gates of the monastery. Finally, they come to experi- ence theatre in one of the many beautiful historic places that our island is adorned by, but often overlooked. This might not be a play for everyone, but anyone loving an intelligent piece will certainly be entertained. Has this show made you consider joining a monastery anytime soon? Haha erm .... no! Although we become one with our played character for the period of time we inhabit the character, I will gladly leave Suor Wistina and her pristine tunic at the monas- tery where they belong. Besides ( and for those who were wonder- ing), swimming in a tunic and veil is quite restrictive. Having said that, on an observative note, I always thought nuns radiate joy and a unique kind of inner peace which must stem from the peaceful environment they live in. Nevertheless, I will keep embracing my hectic life for the time being . "L-Għarusa", a free adapta- tion of Ġużè Diacono's original by Immanuel Mifsud will be staged at the Knight's Armoury in Birgu in co-production with Heritage Malta and supported by Fondazzjoni Ċelebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali and Arts Council Malta between the 21st and 31st of October 2022. Lead Marceline Galea reflects on adaptation of Gużè Diacono's mystic play L-Għarusa PHOTOS: ELISA VON BROCKDORFF