Stagun Teatru Malti's 2016 season opens at the Manoel, on 12 February, with Simon Bartolo's new play Ħabbilini Ħa Nirbaħ.
The title and the poster - featuring four pregnant school girls, that has irked some and made others chuckle. But then, where's the fun in a new modern contemporary theatrical work if it's devoid of some sort of controversial naughtiness?
"Wait. We try to offer as varied a menu as we can," insisted Mario Philip Azzopardi, STM's executive producer. "Controversy is not the only staple in our repertoire. We presented comedies, drama, horror, nostalgia, satire etc. All of them had one thing in common - the Maltese experience - in all its forms, warts n'all. If we are going to talk about ourselves, in an intelligent, adult, way, then we have to have the guts to look into an uncompromising theatrical mirror, fashioned by socially committed artists who aren't afraid to challenge perceptions, to question taboos, and to unmask hypocrisy wherever they find it.
"The challenge of course is to make sure that none of this becomes preachy, boring and feeling like 'homework'. Our theatre is primarily entertainment, of the highest quality, integrity and commitment, with the highest respect towards our audiences who have now come to expect the best in local theatrical entertainment. We are very proud of the ten productions we have produced so far in the last eight years, and the plan is for many more to come."
After the biggest Maltese hit at the Manoel two years ago, Jiena Nħobb, Inti Tħobb, which played to sold out houses, Bartolo returns with another fiercely tongue in cheek social comedy, taken out of the Maltese News headlines. Remember the story about those four girls who bet who'd get pregnant first by a young man they all were in love with? Well, that was the starting point for Simon Bartolo. After fourteen gruelling months of work-shopping the script, STM has asked Sean Buhagiar to step into his directorial boots to helm this next Bartolo opus. (Sean also directed Jiena Nħobb, Inti Tħobb)
"Simon's dialogue is current, fiery, and unapologetic," says Buhagiar. "There is no limit to his acute sensitivity of what constitutes Maltese reality. It's all there, as honest and unabashedly uncompromising as ever. I'd be loath to call this a comedy. Yes sure there is lots of laughs but the play goes beyond the "funny" to delve into themes that lead to very serious outcomes. Simon takes issues we are reading about on current media and creates a story which cracks you up and wrecks you at the same time. The play springs from local sensationalistic stories, about teen pregnancies, misguided youth, discombobulated parenthood, to paint a not so happy picture of alienation and decadence. The subtitle says it all - Fejn Fallejna? (Where did we go wrong?)."
STM assembled a fantastic cast made up of, Monica Attard, Narcy Calamatta, Josette Ciappara, Carlos Farrugia, Vince Micallef Pulé, Antonella Axisa, Marceline Galea, Lorriane D'Ugo and Jean Pierre Cassar. The four girls are being played by Kim Dalli, Daniela Carabott Pawley, Mariele Żammit u Shelby Aquilina.
Booking has opened to brisk business at the Manoel theatre and online at www.teatrumanoel.com.mt Performance dates are with two matinées on the Sundays.
Prices are cheaper on the first weekend. One word of advice: Do not leave your ticket purchase to the last minute. STMs productions have a knack of selling themselves out early.