Sex: now that we have your undivided attention, read on... an old joke, mostly read on university campuses' noticeboards trying to jolt uninterested students to actually pause and read what would otherwise go unnoticed. Times have changed. Facebook has replaced the noticeboard and nobody considers the subject of sex the way it used to be considered a generation or two ago. Enlightenment? Hardly. Has the sexual revolution of the 60s made us happier? What have we gained and what have we lost, if anything? That's for historians to find out. There are those, of course, who think we've gone too far, way too far, into excess never imagined by the original sexual crusaders. Is it so?

Stagun Teatru Malti's next production at the Manoel Theatre, Marti Martek, Martek Marti by Malcolm Galea (of Porn, The Musical fame) is a satirical/hilarious theatrical romp that tackles the question without falling into the trap of needing to moralize the outcome. There are no hidden messages here, no deep intellectual exercises. Instead the production promises tongue in cheek naughty naughtiness. The characters are quintessentially Maltese, middle class and "liberated", jostling through hilarious, totally irreverent situations. Marti Martek, Martek Marti lambasts local perceived morality rules, which in turn, creates the controversial nature of the piece.  Our local audiences may not be accustomed to these themes written specifically for the Maltese theatre but there is no denying they are more than ready for them.

Of course it's not for kids, (18 and over) and the jokes that come at you in rapid-fire mode are intended to push the envelope, or two, placing it squarely in non-traditional, sexually controversial territory. The plot is a simple one.  Four Maltese couples meet in a swanky farm in Gozo for a weekend of... experimentation (Yes, swinging). There are rules and regulations that govern such a meet and one of them is:  each guest must be accompanied by his/her spouse and/or established partner. Things start to go wrong when one of them arrives with a gorgeous paid escort. A big no-no! Once the rules start to get bent, then there's no knowing where the weekend could lead. Other complications crop up, followed by other embarrassing situations, which get swamped by other unexpected turn of events. Then, a telephone call brings everything to a halt... which wasn't supposed to happen, because another no-no rule states that telephones are not allowed on the premises.

Carlos Farrugia, Chris Spiteri, Davide Tucci, Sean Briffa together with Nicola Abela Garret, Larissa Bonaci, Sarah Camilleri and new theatre comer Jovana Kuzeljevic make up the cast for this 12th production by Stagun Teatru Malti, guaranteeing a hilarious, care free evening - the perfect anti-stress antidote. 

The play will be held at Teatru Manoel on 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22 May. Friday and Saturday performances start at 8pm. There are two performances on each Sunday at 3pm and 7pm. Prices for the first weekend are €10, €15 and €20 and €15, €20 and €25 for the second weekend. 

For tickets visit www.teatrumanoel.com.mt, email: [email protected] or phone on 2124 6389.