Rehearsals of Apotheosis are currently ongoing, as actor Angele Galea takes on the formidable role of Dolores, a former Maltese Prime Minister in the process of writing her memoirs, which threatens to bring down the political establishment.

The play is an exciting, thought-provoking and innovative theatre piece written by British-American theatre director and teacher John Baraldi. It is an exploration of contemporary Maltese political and social themes.

Performances of Apotheosis will take place at Spazju Kreattiv during this month and the run of the show includes fringe events with an intensive three-day theatre workshop from 15 to 17 March, together with a series of post-show talks. Theatre practitioners and the general public are encouraged to attend.

The intensive workshop will be led by Baraldi himself and will be a practical exploration of ways to make theatre that reflects the world, the ideas, and skills of the participants. It will give the participants insight into ideas that will both empower and inspire them and potential audiences.

The workshop is limited to 12 participants aged 18 to 24. Preference will be given to females, as the focus of the workshop will relate to the ideas of Apotheosis - the absence of female participation in political life and the role of women in Maltese society.

The workshops will take place in Studio A, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta on Friday, 15 March from 6 to 10pm; Saturday, 16 March from 10am to 10pm and Sunday, 17 March from 10am to 6pm and from 8 to 10pm for the performance and an after-show talk.

The fee for the weekend is €50, including the tickets to see Apotheosis on Sunday night. It is important to note that participants need to commit to the entire weekend.

Potential applicants should send an email explaining why they want to join, as well as an introduction about themselves, to [email protected] by 4 March.

The producers are also organising a series of post-show talks by Thea Rees, president of Soroptimists International Malta. These talks will be held on 7 (including a drinks reception), 8, 13, 14, 15 and 17 March.

These talks will tackle the many controversial and topical themes raised in the play. The speakers include leading academics, activists and experts on gender equality; while Baraldi, Galea, director Marc Cabourdin and co-producer Annalisa Schembri will talk about the creative side of the play.

The outreach and education programme of this project has been funded by the Small Initiatives Support Scheme (SIS), managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS). This project/publication reflects the views only of the author and the MCVS cannot be held responsible for the content or any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

 'Apotheosis' will be performed at Spazju Kreattiv from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 March and Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 March at 8pm; with a matinee performance on Wednesday, 13 March at 2pm. Ticket prices start at €10. For bookings visit www.kreattivita.org/en/event/apotheose/