Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/260953
29 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 2014 SILVERED SYDNEY pg 38 MATERNAL MADNESS pg 34 MAGIC MARGO'S pgs 36-37 Money for nothing? Theatre director Lino Farrugia speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about his upcoming production 'Xita ta' Flus', a Maltese-language adaptation of the Sébastien Thiery's French social comedy, currently being staged at St James Cavalier, Valletta How do you think this play trans- lates, not just linguistically, but socially? Do you think it's as rel- evant to Maltese society as it is to France? The play depicts a situation where a couple are bewildered when inun- dated with tons of money. They do not know how it appeared in their flat or who might have put it there. It's a "raining money" sort of situa- tion – which means riches of course, but also trouble and much more... es- pecially when doubts and suspicions crop in. The situation continues to get more complicated when the neighbour upstairs starts knocking at their door as he has been robbed. Now... that makes one laugh, think and ponder...but the funny side is that one may even question whether this is a Robin Hood situation. Is this a governance situation, is this a situ- ation where "money is no problem" until... Yes, that kind of situation is very relevant, especially in a country like Malta, which has been facing so many changes these past 50 years. What were some of the key dy- namics between the characters that you wished to exploit? How did the change in language influence this? The director has adapted the play in such a way that it does not neces- sarily imply that the play is happen- ing in any particular country, and the currency being used is Euro, so it could really be set in any EU country. The dynamics of the language have proved even more effective than one would have expected. In adapting the original French text, we found that it lent itself very well to Maltese, given that so many expressions are common to both languages as they originate from Latin anyway, which the Maltese borrowed from nearby Sicily. In fact, certain innuendoes work even better – much to our surprise. In the hands of experienced actors such as Nanette Brimmer and An- thony Ellul, together with the fresh input of younger performers Alba Florian Viton and Nathan Brimmer, the characters should prod Maltese audiences to think. Do you think actors react differ- ently to plays translated from an- other language and into Maltese? What kind of guidance did you give them to best adapt to the mood and tone of the play? This is one of the best written 'sane' comedies I have ever read. No wonder it stills runs in Paris. The characters are a couple of the same education and culture one finds in any country. Obviously they have common ground. They care about people and about the welfare of their co-workers and they are faced with a gigantic problem. How are they go- ing to behave in front of their friends? Normally... so what do they do with the money, use it or hoard it? Well, the audience will be left to draw its own conclusions, which is the intelligent part. It is definitely a play which offers a brilliant evening out at the theatre but at the same time offering a case of issues and priorities. Should one be rich at any price? What were some of the key chal- lenges in translating the play? Prof. Anthony Aquilina, a Universi- ty lecturer who specialises in French- Maltese translation, believes that in translating Xita ta' Flus one must pay special attention to different plots emerging as the pages of the script flow at a fast pace. Words carry plen- ty of meaning and when translated into another language they must not only respect the original meaning but also the transfer of one culture into another. With a good transla- tion, watching the piece on stage – and St James Cavalier makes it all the more closer – one must not think of any other consideration but receiv- ing subtle messages in the mood the original writer had intended. We are slowly seeing a more regu- lar resurgence of original drama written in Maltese. would you say that plays translated into Maltese also play a part in making Maltese- language theatre more popular and palatable? Absolutely. in fact the Alliance française are doing a great job in offering to the Maltese public such work in Maltese, as this will help to the resurgence of the theatre in Mal- tese that has been a moribund for some years. The Alliance francaise, producer of the stage comedy, has in fact em- barked on this project striving to bring a contemporary play from Paris every year to open up another drama window and thus ventilate more creativity and ideas. In Malta we are regularly exposed to the An- glo-Saxon world, where most of our writers and performers learn their skills. We are getting a much smaller dose of Italian theatre nowadays, but some still follow it through TV and on occasional visits. But the strong following by French theatre lovers – there are scores of very busy small theatres in Paris alone – was totally unknown. Now local dramatists may receive different vibes, inspiration and themes by opening themselves to another side of European art and culture on stage. And performers have a chance to keep au courant with the theatre scene in Paris, a cra- dle for theatre for many centuries. It is a different kind of feast for Maltese audiences. The cast of 'Xita ta' Flus' includes Nanette Brimmer, Tony Ellul, Alba Florian Viton and Nathan Brimmer. The play will be staged tonight and February 21-23 at St James Cavalier, Valletta, 20:00. Organised in collabo- ration with the Alliance française de Malte-Mediterranée. More informa- tion: http://www.sjcav.org/ Tony Ellul and Nanette Brimmer Alba Florian Viton (right)