Mario Philip Azzopardi’s satirical black comedy Sulari fuq Strada Stretta will be performed at Manoel Theatre between 25 – 27 January at 8pm.

Sulari, originally written in 1977, caused a dispute with censors and theatre authorities at the time, who had cancelled the play on the grounds that it was too offensive. Now, 30 years later, local audiences have the unique opportunity to see it performed at Malta’s National Theatre with an excellent cast and directed by the author himself.

Days before the Second World War, Joey plots the murder of the last remaining members of a Maltese aristocratic family to enhance business for prostitutes in Strait Street, by inheriting the top floor of an old palace in Valletta.

The play had a sub title Kummiedja f’zewg atti fejn kwazi kulhadd imut, (a comedy in two acts in which almost everyone dies) that gives a slight and somewhat covert indication of the kind of “comedy” audiences should expect. It is tongue-in-cheek, irreverent entertainment which promises to be a different type of theatrical experience. Nothing new really. In the heyday of Maltese theatre, controversy and political satire were rampant and this included Carnival floats. Nowadays there are strict rules and dos and don’ts governing what can be depicted on a float. What is this? Censorship? Well, yes and no. Those floats were, according to politicians, a public nuisance since they provoked many a public brawl. Which begs the question: Are the Maltese unable to laugh at themselves? Do they really take themselves that seriously?

Sulari Fuq Strada Stretta does away with such premises and dives headlong into a frenzy of satire meant to take the mickey out of “being Maltese”. There’s no subtlety here and the plot is crafted to “nudge nudge” the audience into those murky, polemical, Maltese dinner party taboos: Sex, Politics, Religion.

It’s about this young man from Strait Street, (played by Sean Buhagiar “Equus”) who caters to the whims of the last three remaining members of an old aristocratic Maltese family, living in an old Palazzo which overlooks the notorious street. These three characters are a a collection of weird personalities. There’s the 80-year- old Lukretia, (played by Monica Attard) who is being “inspired” to write the third testament after Christ, which is bound to save Malta from an impending doom. Her rants are quite appropriate considering that the play takes place only a few days before the outbreak of the second world war. Lukretia’s sister, Tereza (played by Ninnette Micallef) is a devotee of Benito Mussolini and believes she is part of a secret organisation preparing for the Duce’s arrival. And then there is their brother, Edoardo, (played by John Suda). He is a defrocked Monsignor, having been involved in a scandal involving two young boys.

Joey must find a way to get rid of the three dinosaurs to “liberate” the palace from Malta’s old social cobwebs in order to refurbish the palazzo and make space for Strait Street’s girls on the top floor. Local censors have given it an 18 certificate.

Performances start at 8pm. Tickets (€14, €11.50 and €6.00) can be purchased from Manoel Theatre booking office which can be contacted on 2124-6389 or by emailing [email protected] .

Mario Philip Azzopardi, is a television and film director and writer, now based in Canada. In 1971 while still a student at the University of Malta, he directed Gagga – the first full-length feature filmed entirely in Maltese. He has directed several films and hundreds of TV movies for the major studios in Hollywood and Canada.