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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 SEPTEMBER 2024 3 THEATRE Creating the dream world of Peer Gynt A modern adaptation of Peer Gynt will soon have its world premiere in Malta, in an Adrian Buckle production. Set designer Romualdo Moretti shares what makes this production special – and his process of setting the stage for this new take on the famous tale. HENRIK Ibsen's Peer Gynt may be a popular play, but Adrian Buckle's upcoming pro- duction is unique. Indeed, this will mark the world premiere of a modern adaptation by ac- claimed British playwright Brad Birch, who wrote it spe- cifically for the occasion, on the condition that actor Joseph Zammit plays the title role. The play follows the life and adventures of Peer, a peas- ant who is also a daydream- er and teller of tall tales. Peer meets colourful characters as he journeys through various fantastical and real-world set- tings, embarking on a journey of self-discovery as his story progresses. Apart from delv- ing into the consequences of living a selfish life, Birch's ad- aptation for today's audiences explores Western exploitation, the migrant crisis, identity and redemption. The protagonist of the play is Norwegian – as Ibsen him- self was – but the play takes him to many wildly different locations, ranging from the rugged mountains of Norway to the African desert, as well as fantastical ones like the hall of the Troll King. Needless to say, condensing such sprawl- ing landscapes into a compact stage like that at Spazju Kreat- tiv created unique challeng- es for set designer Romualdo Moretti. "My approach towards this play is based primarily on the text of Brad Birch's adaptation, which explores human experi- ence and challenges," explains Moretti. "This is also a com- plex play with rapidly changing scenes and comedic moments, and we faced several difficul- ties in its staging. Our biggest challenge was the limited space available, with the audience sitting a few centimetres away from the actors. However, after several meetings with director Chris Gatt, we came up with solutions that will also have a significant visual impact." Moretti is quick to credit the collaborative effort of the team behind this production, high- lighting the work of Brad Birch and Chris Gatt in particular as crucial to overcoming the limi- tations of the space. "We creat- ed a space that depicts reality, but a reality that has a dream- like quality," he states. "The space is then transformed into one of fantastical dreams, full of opaque images and gold ele- ments. But I don't want to give more away – I hope audiences can discover it with their own eyes!" One of the key themes of Peer Gynt is the protagonist's character arc and how his trav- els and adventures lead to his transformation. Reflecting this change in the scenery was a priority, adds Moretti. "I had to keep in mind Peer's person- ality and his search for his own identity," he stresses. "His jour- ney is full of surprises and dan- gers. It's a bittersweet fairy tale that encourages us to reflect on issues that are always relevant, all of which has shaped the set design." Although the difficulties were many, Moretti feels they helped him come up with imaginative solutions. "All the limitations we encountered challenged me to push through and not allow them to stifle my creativity," he shares. "There was even a point, halfway, when I had to scrap my previous set design because of some technical problems. In the end, however, I reverted to the original design. The first idea is usually the best option, anyway." As the curtains prepare to rise on Malta's premiere of Ibsen's classic, it's clear that Moretti's set design will play a pivotal role in bringing Brad Birch's adaptation to life. Thanks to Moretti's creative approach, audiences are in for an unfor- gettable experience. Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt, an Adrian Buckle and a Malta School of Drama & Dance pro- duction, is adapted by Brad Birch and plays at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, on 27, 28, 29 September and 4, 5, 6 Oc- tober at 8pm. This production is supported by Arts Council Malta. Tickets are available online at https://kreattivita. org/en/event/peer-gynt/.