Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543384
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 FEBRUARY 2026 THEATRE LAURA CALLEJA lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt You'll miss the facts when they're gone "YOU'LL miss the facts when they're gone." That's one of the lines from the promotional video for Press Mute, an upcoming production at Spazju Kreat- tiv. Written and directed by editor and journalist Herman Grech and produced by Udjenza, Press Mute is a fast-paced, satirical production about truth, lies, the media, rapid technology, and the chaos in between. It follows two exhausted journalists trying to expose a scandal, a charismatic podcaster, a slick minister, and the algo- rithm that knows us better than we know ourselves. In a world where facts compete with feelings and investigations are lost to the void, it can be a real challenge not only to convince anyone why they should care, but to convince them what the truth is. MaltaToday spoke with actress Michae- la Farrugia, who plays Eliza Vale, a jour- nalist working inside a high-pressure newsroom. Farrugia says she is drawn to characters who are different from herself. "They allow me to see the world through a different lens. With this role, I was step- ping into a space I didn't know much about, so I relied on research." Farrugia explains that she was intro- duced to journalists and was able to visit a newsroom on a random morning. To pre- pare, she asked many questions and had long conversations with people working in the field. "I also started following the news more closely and became really aware of how intense and chaotic the flow of informa- tion is. Journalists have a lot to process every single day." Press Mute deploys the technique of breaking the fourth wall, a theatrical and cinematic device where characters ac- knowledge the audience by directly ad- dressing them or stepping outside the fic- tion of the story. Farrugia tells us that she has worked on projects that used a similar approach, so it wasn't completely new to her. However, it could still be intimidat- ing. "We have to think quickly and impro- vise. During rehearsals, we simulated these moments to prepare for the unpre- dictability of live responses. I am very cu- rious to see how audiences respond once we begin performing," she says. When it comes to the themes of Press Mute, which include information over- load as well as the deterioration of trust in the media by the public, Farrugia says that theatre is a strong place to pose big ques- tions in an accessible and human way. "Audiences can engage with issues that can otherwise feel overwhelming. I think that's one of the artist's roles in society. As storytellers, we do have a responsibility to handle these themes thoughtfully and with proper research behind them." Farrugia continues to say that she loves live performances, especially in the age of streaming platforms and constant digital distractions, because "theatre forces you to stay present." From the improvised moments, which are Farrugia's favourite because you can't fully prepare for them, she says that working on Press Mute made her appre- ciate truth more, "because it can easily get blurred. It's encouraged me to stay informed and to see it as part of my civic responsibility. I'd love it if it could do the same for audiences." Farrugia is joined on stage by Mark Lau- rence Zammit, Davide Tucci, Philip Leo- ne Ganado and Trudy Kerr. Press Mute is on at Spazju Kreattiv, Valleta from 20 February until 1 March. Michela Faurriga as Eliza Vale (Photo: Edward Degabriele) Press Mute stars Trudy Ker, Philip Leone Ganad, Mark Laurence Zammit, Michela Faurriga and Davide Tucci (Photo: Edward Degabriele)