Teatru Malta has launched their new season programme, featuring a production in commemoration of Oliver Friggieri a year after his death. 

Teatru Malta’s artistic director Sean Buhagiar, Minister for the National Heritage, Local Government and Culture Minister Dr Jose Herrera and Arts Council Malta’s Executive Chair Albert Marshall launched the new season programme at the Friggieri Hall inside the Valletta Design Cluster earlier today.

“The dynamic and resilience of Teatru Malta have shone through throughout the past few months of the pandemic during which Teatru Malta made sure to continue developing future projects for the years to come,’’ said Albert Marshall.

The Autumn/Winter Programme of Events, their first since 2020, featuring original art work by Collage Artist Fabio D'Amato, is now available for free from all Agenda Bookshop, WHSmith and 8tillLate outlets across Malta and Gozo. The programme highlights the work that the national theatre company have focused on developing over the course of the pandemic.

"We’re glad to be back to being the national theatre company for our audiences, by presenting a programme that can only exist here in Malta whilst collaborating with some of the world’s biggest theatre names," said Buhagiar.

A variety of events feature in the colourful programme that opens with the dance theatre performance “O”. Dedicated to the late Oliver Friggieri a year on from his death. “O” is directed by Buhagiar, choreographed by Cheryl Lofreda and performed by the MVMT, Jamie Cardona and Clare Tonna with original music by Chris Vella. The devised work will take place at Teatru Manoel following their recent restoration projects. Tickets for the event are now available online with the show premiering on the 29th of October to a limited audience capacity.

This is a programme that truly caters to audiences of all ages. The endearing children’s opera Il-Qtates ta’ max-Xatt has been adapted as a puppet theatre performance by the puppeteer Sean Briffa and performers Jeremy Grech and Clare Ghigo. The show is available for schools across the island and will take place at the Esplora Planetarium.

During the launch, Minister Herrera notably announced that the Ministry will be presenting a legal notice establishing Teatru Malta as a stand-alone agency, serving as the national theatre company of Malta. This legal notice will be launched in collaboration with Arts Council Malta.

"As a government, we are committed to further strengthening the cultural sector so that we continue to offer more accessibility to our community. Thanks to the programme that we are launching today for the Autumn/Winter schedule, Teatru Malta is offering a wide selection of productions that deal with interesting and relevant topics, so that we may continue to increase the attendance of new audiences; audiences which might not be familiar with theatre,” said Minister Jose Herrera. He went on to say that there are many ongoing collaborations with cultural entities aimed at delivering this varied programme, as well as collaboration with other relevant Ministries and organisations, in order to further increase innovation within the sector.

Teatru Malta will also be working on a five-year strategy in consultation with its associate artists Paul Portelli, Lee-n Abela, Jimmy Grima, Marta Vella, Simon Bartolo and Simone Spiteri. The strategy will be presented for public consultation in due course.

One of the most stimulating projects currently in the works for Teatru Malta is the European Theatre Convention (ETC) conference which Teatru Malta will be hosting this October with the support of Arts Council Malta, Teatru Manoel and Spazju Kreattiv. The conference programme will also include a curated showcase by local artists, including touring production Nassaba: Song of a Bird by Jimmy Grima, which will also be open to the public, and will be taking place on the 30th of October at the Catholic Institute of Floriana.

Other stand-out productions include Il-Qfil u l-Ħelsien Skont Manwel Dimech, a site-specific music theatre performance with a story by Victor Jacono and Kris Spiteri, premiering this November at the Old Prisons in Kordin and the biographical play Drago, written by André Mangion and inspired by the life of legendary professional snooker and pool player Tony Drago.

Teatru Malta’s wardrobe is now also available for online viewing, which means that you can now view highlights from their extensive costume catalogue. All these costumes are also available for rent. Teatru Malta’s recently launched limited edition merchandise in collaboration with Souvenirs That Don’t Suck has also been launched online, with all items available for purchase through Teatru Malta’s website. 

For more information on Teatru Malta’s latest programme of events, please visit

 www.teatrumalta.org.mt or follow them on their Facebook and Instagram pages.