Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543288
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 FEBRUARY 2026 THEATRE Dystopian classic 1984 to be staged at Teatru Manoel this March BIG BROTHER IS ALWAYS WATCHING: This March, Teatru Manoel presents George Orwell's iconic 1984 in a new stage adaptation directed by Petra Sant as part of TOI TOI Classics TEATRU Manoel presents a new TOI TOI Classics produc- tion, of George Orwell's dysto- pian masterpiece 1984 in this powerful adaptation by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan. More than seventy years after its publication, 1984 remains urgently relevant. The produc- tion interrogates not only the power of the state, but also the fragility of truth, memory, and love. Set within a stark, fluid envi- ronment, the play follows Win- ston Smith, played by Edward Caruana Galizia, a low-ranking member of the ruling Party, as he begins to question the regime that governs every as- pect of life. His forbidden re- lationship with Julia, played by Tina Rizzo, becomes an act of rebellion in a society where even private thoughts are mon- itored. As Winston's resistance deepens, the consequences be- come increasingly brutal and inescapable. This new produc- tion, directed by Petra Sant, em- phasises the e m o t i o n a l and moral c o m p l e x - ity at the heart of the sto- ry. "This p r o d u c t i o n leans into the play's fractured structure and treats time as unstable. We move between three distinct worlds: the Present, Memory, and a Meta-Space of Observation. These worlds are not just shifts in time, but shifts in how pow- er operates." explains Sant. The TOI TOI Classics, lead by Manager Kate Fenech Field, is at the heart of Teatru Manoel's Learn- ing and Partic- ipation Pro- g r a m m i n g . "Our Clas- sics pro- d u c t i o n s offer the o p p o r t u - nity to pro- duce work of great artistic depth, sparking critical thinking, ex- amining human behaviour no matter how thrilling or un- comfortable", Fenech Field ex- plains. "This season we chose a contemporary telling of a frighteningly prophetic Classic". The production also stars Alan Paris and Stephen Oliver, Nicholas Jackman, Naomi Scicluna, Brendon Thearle, and Alex Ween- ink. Set design is by Adri- an Mamo, lighting de- sign by Gianluca Bianco, sound design by Sergio Costa and visual con- tent is designed by Dylan Odom. Running from Fri- day 6th to Sunday 8th March, and then again the following weekend on Saturday 14th and Sun- day 15th March.. Admission age is 14+ and tickets can be purchased online at https:// t e a t r u m a n o e l . mt/event/1984/ or from the Teatru Manoel Box Office - in person or over the phone at (+356) 21246389.