The word 'homeless' tends to evoke the image of a beggar sleeping rough on the pavement, as is often seen in large cities worldwide or in popular culture. Malta's general lack of this image may lead most to assume that the island does not have an issue with homelessness, but, as highlighted by a new show, this is far from the truth.

Zayden is a one-man, one-hour show in Maltese, which is based on the narrative of a young homeless man in Malta. Penned and directed by Tyrone Grima, the shows takes its inspiration from both the author's two jobs - as a playwright and theatre director, and as Head of Care with two residential homes run by the Salesians of Don Bosco.

"The two homes in which I work, Osanna Pia Home and Mamma Margherita Home, host young men who are homeless," explains Tyrone. "I was very surprised to hear the narratives of homelessness that these young men experienced, and to discover that there are so many of these stories in our country; so many hidden stories. I also became aware that many people do not have any idea of how serious these stories are. Hence, I decided to make use of one of the residents' narratives - with his permission and by altering some details including names to ensure confidentiality - and transform it into a theatrical project."

With local actor Jacob Piccinino in the title role, the show takes the audience on an interactive journey to understand and experience the different episodes in Zayden's life. "Jacob is one of the most talented local actors of the younger generation. He is a very dedicated and humble actor, as well as being extremely creative. His training in mime and physical theatre has made the project more visual and dynamic," Tyrone explains. "After Jacob accepted the role last December, this year so far has been dedicated to long hours of drafting different versions of this script, playing freely with the text, and of course many hours of rehearsal. By the performance I know that Jacob will have attained an amazingly deep and dynamic level."

As serious as the subject material may be, Tyrone has made sure that Zayden also includes lighter and funnier moments to offer some comic relief. "It's not all doom and gloom in this story! Zayden has a strong sense of humour and has also ended up in some monkey business throughout his life," he points out. "The show includes an escape from the police; the stealing of fruit from San Anton Gardens; and a mock village procession. The drama and the comedy shift from one to the other all the time, as they often do in our daily lives. As Zayden narrates his story, we hope audiences will laugh, cry and, most importantly, feel compelled to stand up and do their part to change the situation."

Tyrone shares that they have also made sure to use the show's unique venue of The Splendid, a former hotel on the notorious Strait Street in Valletta, to its full advantage for the piece. "The alternative and rugged look of the venue worked perfectly for us. The audience are walking into what will look like an abandoned house, very easily one of those houses where Zayden and other people will have lived, at times for months. We are trying to create an authentic experience for the audience: Zayden will perceive them as being homeless too, and it is only due to this that he can trust them and reveal his secrets. We have also incorporated fans into the show, so that the audience will still feel comfortable in the summer heat!"

The journey of bringing Zayden from story, to page, to stage has been an interesting, albeit disturbing one for Tyrone, where he has discovered just how deep the homelessness rabbit hole goes in Malta.

"Statistics claim that one per cent are homeless in the country but other sources contradict that and show that the amount is significantly higher. Many of the stories are latent because of the taboo that surrounds it. But Zayden has shown me how imperative it is to raise awareness of homelessness in Malta. The situation cannot change unless we become aware of how real and serious these stories are."

Through projects like Zayden, Tyrone hopes not only to boost awareness about homelessness, but also to support the important mission of the Salesians of Don Bosco, who will receive all proceeds from the show.

"The Salesians have always given a lot of importance to the young at the periphery or at risk, and they support and help numerous young homeless men to build a better future. Their work is invaluable. But we all have a civic duty to stop poverty. We could easily get lost and alienated in the bubble our comfortable lives create for us, or simply dismiss these cases by stating that these people are homeless because they did something wrong in their lives. But I do not think we can rest our heads at night on the pillow with our air-conditioning units switched on, knowing that, on the same hot summer night, a number of people are sleeping in a car somewhere in a field, or else in an unsafe and abandoned building. My hope is that Zayden will encourage audiences to do whatever they can to help, and so signal the beginning of the end of homelessness in Malta."

Tyrone Grima's Zayden will be performed at The Splendid, Strait Street, Valletta, from 25-28 July 2019. There will be two performances held daily at 7.30pm and 9pm, with the exception of Thursday 25 July when there will only be one performance, held at 8pm. Zayden is produced in collaboration with the Salesians of Don Bosco, who will receive all proceeds in order to further their mission. Tickets are limited and are available online at www.showshappening.com