How important are the Arts to you?

They are my life, and my job. Creativity has always been my favourite human trait. The arts have always been my favourite human expression. I studied and trained and remain fascinated by their possibilities. Today, they remain my passion but also provide my income.

How often can you get involved in theatre considering you have very demanding artistic management responsibilities?

Theatre is part of what I do. It is my baby and I will always do my best to make time for it. It is also the expression I know best. Artistic direction involves working with the artists, theatre lets you be it. I have wore many hats, from producer to actor to director and I love all of them. I love film too, and festivals, however I will always be in love with the stage.

What’s your artistic ambition? 

I believe an artist needs to be set free to express creativity; however he needs to know the audience. But we must never forget we are involved in show business and there is always the financial aspect. There is show, and there is business. You have to be creative within a structre. I am not one to wave the flag of the sacredness of the artist. My ambition is to create the greatest possible experience for the audience with the best possible creative and artistic expressionwith the resourcess available. I am not interested in doing the same thing, I am interested in pushing the envelope and in discovering new stories, new ways to tell them and new reactions from society.

There is currently a social media debate going on about culture and the arts in Malta. What's your view?

From my experience, debate in culture and the arts never really got us anywhere. In my opinion, it is because we do not do it well. We do not do it ‘together’. Today, I prefer doing and trying to change the status quo to nagging or debating.

Tell us about this play. How and why did you get involved?

I am part of the Fundazzjoni Avventura and so I was involved in the writing process with Simon Bartolo and Mario Philip Azzopardi. I was on board immediately. At the Fundazzjoni we’re constantly inviting and commissioning writers. With mutual agreement, reached through the process of intense collaborative evaluation as to relevance, production issues, budgetary concerns and marketability, we commission the writer to write the play with the full support of a research and development team. We then workshop the play for a year with actors, directors and critics. Then we produce it.

The play evolved from the first draft. It is an exciting story, a Maltese story.  Intrinsically, it is about human relationships, love, family and sexuality. If you want the shocking titles – you get IVF, surrogacy, homosexuality and so on. But it’s actually all about love.

It was an enriching experience to work with Simon. He is a fantastic author and a wonderful person. Meanwhile, Mario Philip’s professionalism and creativity process is a joy to watch.

What’s been your approach to directing it?

Fun. I enjoyed directing it. It is a play which keeps you interested. It speaks to you in different ways. It makes you feel different things. I believe the theatre belongs to the actor. I am glad that I had such wonderful actors to work with. I wanted to the play to be contemporary. I want it to speak to the audience effectively. Part of the job I am proud of is putting together a splendid team. Costumes, set, make-up, we have the best names on the island working for us. 

Do you think it addresses important issues in a way that will get some sort of message across? 

Our theatre is not really about messages, albeit the audience can take one with it if it finds it. We want to provide entertainment, we want to tell a good story. We want to produce good theatre. The important thing is that they enjoy the experience making it memorable. We don’t do anything to offend or shock. We just produce what we believe is a great piece of theatre.

But do you think theatre like this can affect the way people think and the way legislators act with regards to these controversial issues?

People can always be effected. Be it theatre, music, media, film. However we are not doing propaganda. People also react differently, whilst some people will agree or like some characters or parts of the story, others might dislike them.

Regarding the legislators, let’s start with the fact that it would be great if we see more of our Members of Parliament attending the National Theatre. But for the short answer: no, I believe we have nothing to do with legislation.

Why should people come and watch this play? What sort of feedback do you anticipate?

Because it will be a great piece of theatre! We have an incredible script and an amazingly talented cast. We are very proud to have brought together many of the island’s best actors. The subject will speak to people individually. The story is great, almost real. The production is by the National Theatre and Mario Philip Azzopardi. In my books, it is definitely worth the watch and as Alfred Hitchcock once said, worth the price of dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter, if you need one.

They should also come watch because they can’t watch it anywhere else, and it is made for them. It is homemade. Over the last few years Malta has seen a resurgence in professional theatrical productions. This is good. The only discordant note here is the fact that very, very little of it was in Maltese or addressed Maltese issues. The vibrancy of the present theatrical calendar is primarily based on the importation of British or American theatre, which, while professionally competent is alien to the Maltese experience. The great local theatrical talent is being squandered on imports which do very little to support our unique culture.

I have no problem with the presentation of foreign plays, far from it. I am not a fan of an insular mentality. What I regret is that while foreign content works very well to introduce us to foreign cultures and foreign concerns, it does little to address the Maltese soul and so both should be very important in the Maltese Calendar. This is theatre for the Maltese soul. That is another reason why I think they should come watch.

As for feedback, I will obviously give you a very biased answer – people will enjoy it tremendously. Well feedback is always varied right? In the last Stagun Teatru Malti we had people telling us it was the best play they ever saw and others left the theatre because they felt offended. I expect mixed reactions. But I expect reactions.