Maltese drama

There has been quite a heated debate in the media, particularly in The Sunday Times, about Maltese theatre. Special reference has been made on the dearth of plays in Maltese at the Manoel Theatre, the self-styled 'national theatre', and at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity.

One of the main arguments is that both venues cater exclusively for the elite. The high admission prices, considered exorbitant, are proof enough. The low and middle income classes cannot afford to go to either venue.

Dr Charles Briffa, president of the Akkademja tal-Malti and chairman of the drama committee, commented on a report carried in The Times of June 24. The report dealt with statistics about theatre in Malta based on the latest survey carried out by the National Office of Statistics.

The quoted article lambasts the report in that only the Manoel Thatre and St James Cavalier Centre are mentioned. Moreover it only considers the comments of Tony Cassar Darien, the artistic director of the Manoel, and of Chris Gatt, manager of St James Cavalier.

Colonialist mentality

The indictment is that mainly plays in English, by British and American dramatists, are produced at the two mentioned venues. This is a clear indication, it is argued, of the persistence of a colonialist mentality. Dr Briffa further declares that "there seems to be a recent obsession to sell sex and sleaze and to go all smutty at theatre institutions that thrive on heavy public funding."

The author of the article, entitled "Theatre attendance and state investment", laments that "heavily patronised theatres, like the Catholic Institute and the Salesian Theatre in Sliema, that produce only Maltese theatre, are never given a voice. This plants suspicion as to why certain reporters are always having their sights on glamourising exclusive theatre venues.

In a recent press release the National Council of Culture and the Arts declared that all strata of society will be addressed. This is good news indeed for those who are frustrated at the absence of Maltese plays being produced at both 'national' venues at affordable prices of admission. There is a suspicion that the managements are intent on turning both into commercial outlets irrespective of their obligation to the Arts.

It is worthwhile recalling that drama born in Ancient Athens was meant to be entertainment for the people in general, this was the philosophy of the times. The people were sovereign. Hence democracy - demos cratia - or as the Americans put it, government of the people, by the people, for the people. For a theatre to earn the appellative 'national' it has to cater for all strata of society as promised by the Council for Culture and the Arts.

There can be no reasonable doubt that a most important and practically an exclusive feature of the Maltese nation is the Maltese language. So that while English productions are welcome because English is the second official language, Maltese is the national language, so that it has to have top priority in anything that is termed 'national'.

The confession that "first and foremost (one is) allergic to anything with the word 'national' in it" is at best facetious. At worst such an unworthy statement does not behove a citizen of the Republic of Malta. Even more illogical is the declaration that where the word 'national' is involved (Chris Gatt) has the suspicion that "whatever is being discussed hasn't been seriously thought through" must have been said while under the stress and tension of the present heatwave. It is as explosively effective as the minor earthquake of the other day.

If the statements just quoted have a majority opinion, which I am almost sure is not the case, then so long as the present situation remains as depicted in the survey under discussion, there is little hope, unfortunately, that Maltese theatre will thrive. Much less survive, and this would be a 'national calamity'.

Teatru instead of teatrin

On a purely personal note I would like to recall that as early as 1945 the Ghaqda tal-Malti (Università) produced the social comedy Is-Sengha ta' l-Imhabba by the late Gorg Pisani at the Radio City Opera House. It broke the ice by introducing serious legitimate theatre to substitute the native village teatrin. The success of that production led the Ghaqda to establish a branch, Fergha Drammatika, of which I was honorary secretary, produced Maltese translations of European drama classics both on stage as well as broadcast over the Rediffusion system, so that Maltese audiences were introduced to European classics in the national language.

Another innovation of the Fergha Drammatika was the removal of the prompt-box, a sine qua non of teatrin.

I will not repeat here the arguments I have moved before for a National Drama Company. What I will do is appeal to the Council for Culture and the Arts to be true to its promise to cater for all social strata.

Encouragement of dramatists, poets, novelists in the Maltese language has to top the Council's agenda. It would be a shame if it were to be otherwise. How can we be considered a worthy member of the European Union when the same Union had granted recognition of Maltese as a national language along with those of other member states, and equal in status to them?

One has to emphasise that, as has already been pointed out in an earlier column, venues have to be identified in regions in which Malta and Gozo will have to be divided for the purpose of this exercise. These venues have to be enhanced by productions so that the village and town audiences get 'acclimatised' to modern Maltese drama.