Graham Greene put some passionate carnal love, a promise to God and the London Blitz in a pot and called it The End of the Affair. He was compelled to do it because it is an autobiographical tryst that he simply had to get out of his system. His illicit love affair had sunk him into the inner conflict blues of his compelling literary style.

The theatrical version of Greene’s blues will be staged by Maleth in English on the 19, 20 and 21 January, at the Manoel Theatre.

Sarah Miles, the Jezebel of the affair, is married to a dull but ambitious civil servant. She meets controversial writer Maurice Bendrix and discovers lust, loyalty and divinity. She prays to her non-existent God to bring back her lover from the dead. She promises to love him only from afar once he returns, just like people love their God. The love triangle spins wildly when an agnostic preacher joins the milieu.

Veteran director Narcy Calamatta chose his cast with great care. The two stalwart actors, Joe Pace as the lover and Tony Ellul as the husband, stand at opposite ends of the see-saw. For the part of passionate Sarah, Narcy chose Nadine Abela, one of his protégés from drama school days. “She was magnificent in Suddenly Last Summer at MTADA”, Narcy says with pride.

Producer Frank Tanti is also introducing two young and promising, virtual newcomers to Maleth, with Chris Spiteri playing the private eye and Stefan Farrugia the sacrilegious preacher.

Graham Greene’s background of bombed out London will be re-created in a complex multi-scenic stage design by Narcy. The lighting plot is very challenging as a film noire effect is essential. Frank Tanti is already gathering up WW II paraphernalia and costumes to give an authentic effect.

The End of the Affair is one of Graham Greene’s most popular and successful stories but is also a literary classic, that has twice been made into a film. At the Manoel we will see what is known as “une piece bien fait” or a well-made play.