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maltatoday SUNDAY 21 JANUARY 2018 This Week 33 WHAT'S ON alier, Valletta at 19:30 (January 10) and 20:30 (January 26). The film is a coming-of-age story that follows the life of Niilas, a twelve-year-old boy who un- dertakes a journey to visit his mother and half-siblings in ru- ral northern Sweden. The film forms part of Spazju Kreattiv's Children and Young Audience Programme. Tickets are at €7; €6 for members on presenta- tion of the Cinema Membership Card; Ticket Prices for Children and Youth (till age 17) €5. Book- ings: http://w w w.kreattivita. org/en/. JANUARY 31 Dragon Blade Screening of the Jackie Chan- starring historical action film at Spazju Kreattiv cinema at St James Cavalier, Valletta at 19:30. Dragon Blade is a 2015 Chinese- Hong Kong historical action film written and directed by Daniel Lee and starring Jackie Chan. In the film, Chan plays Huo An, the commander of The Silk Road Protection Squad during the Han Dynasty, who is commit- ted towards stopping battles and promoting the idea of peace. The screening is being organised by the China Cultural Centre, and forms part of the Happy Chi- nese New Year in Valletta 2018 series. Bookings: http://www. kreattivita.org/en/event/dragon- blade-2015/. BOOK LAUNCH JANUARY 28 City of Shadows Book launch of the self-pub- lished historical novel by John Naudi at Malta Society of Arts, Palazzo De La Salle, Republic Street, Valletta at 18:00. "Malta, late 19th Century. Valletta, the capital city, is in turmoil. A se- ries of grisly murders leads Lon- don Constable, Archibald Whit- lock, to travel to Malta and assist with the investigation. Mean- while, Don Lorenzo answers the Lord's call to protect the f lock, while troubled woman Rita For- mosa wanders the tangled web of Strada Stretta. Danger lurks in the dark, con- stricted lanes of the city and time slowly runs out as each tries to unlock the secret that is haunting Valletta." The paper- back edition of the book will be on sale at the event on a first- come, first-served basis. 'Collapse' to be unveiled next month Adrian Buckle's new play will make its debut with an all-American cast at Spazju Kreattiv Renowned Maltese playwright and producer Adrian Buckle will un- veil his new script to the public for the first time on February 17, with the debut Collapse. The play will then run for three consecu- tive weekends in the main theatre at Spazju Kreattiv. "I am certainly very excited to be bringing this new piece to frui- tion," Buckle, who is known for his daring and thought-provoking approach to theatre, said. "This script has been a long time in the making and I believe it is my most developed piece to-date." Set in a dystopian future under siege, the play begins on the cha- otic and violent streets of an unnamed city, with armed soldiers rap- ing and killing at whim. There, a young woman named Greta lives together with her damaged boyfriend Robbie, who is not allowed outside for the sake of his safety. "Together the lovers have created a bullet-proof bubble around themselves, full of stories and fairytales, and oblivious to the trouble outside," Buckle explained. "That is, until Stella comes to visit, at which point Greta and Robbie's world is turned upside down." Collapse will make its stage debut with an all-American cast, who are flying to Malta specifically to present the piece. It will be spear- headed by American director Dave Barton, who is known for his involvement in local productions including Blasted and Attempts on Her Life, which were also produced by Unifaun Productions. "Dave and I share a very similar approached to theatre and we like the same things," Buckle added. "So I knew he would be the ideal di- rector for Collapse – in fact he has helped tweak the piece through- out the writing process and been very involved. Beyond that, we also agreed that an American cast would be best suited to the piece, and I am looking forward to watching the results of the team's creative process when they arrive in Malta later this month. "I hope it will contribute to the dynamic year of theatre that we will enjoy over the next few months as a result of Valletta's role as European Capital of Culture 2018." Tickets for Collapse (18+) are available now on www.kreattivita.org/en/event/collapse/ or by calling 2122 3216 The All-American cast of Collapse Harpsichord player Mahan Esfahani will be among the performers at the Valletta International Baroque Festival Nowhere People – exhibition by Greg Constantine at the Malta Postal Museum