A group of actors from the Malta Drama Centre have returned from Linz, Austria, after taking part in the Internationales Theatre Festival with seven other European countries. The festival is organised every three years around Austria and finalists are selected months before the actual staging.

Among the participants were Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Russia.

The Malta Drama Centre performed a highly satirical piece based on the travails of Gahan, the folk-idiot. The performance, which was also set to music was written and directed by Lino Farrugia on a concept originated by Albert Marshall.

"The Maltese entry was tremendously successful," explained Chris X. Grech, who took the leading role and also managed the technical aspect of the production. "We received a standing ovation and seven curtain calls".

An aspect which intrigued the very mixed audience was the introduction of chunks of Maltese in the script. "We are introducing this feature in all the plays we enter for foreign encounters," explained a spokesperson for the Drama Centre, "and the level of interest in the Maltese language is incredible, not least for the unusual, dramatic rhythms it evokes".

The Malta Drama Centre has acknowledged the assistance received for this project from Merlin Library of Blata l-Bajda.