Do you want to go to hell? Then wear indecent clothes, watch immoral films... and read Il-Helsien.
At the start of the 1960s, these words were posted on boards mounted on church walls. On April 8, 1961, Archbishop Michael Gonzi interdicted Labour Party leader Dom Mintoff and all the members of the party's executive committee.
In September 1961, writer Guzè Ellul Mercer, best remembered for his novel Leli ta' Haz-Zghir, died. Being a regular contributor to the newspaper Il-Helsien he was one of those interdicted by the Maltese Church.
Because of this he was buried in that part of the Addolorata Cemetery that was not consecrated; the area was called mizbla (rubbish dump).
The author was not the only one to be buried there. There were five other men and a woman. During the time of the interdict, no Labourite was allowed to participate in Mass, to confess, to receive holy communion, or any other sacrament. The houses of Labourites were not blessed by the parish priest and one could only read Il-Helsien under the pain of mortal sin.
For many Maltese, the years of the interdict (1961-1964) were terrible years, to the extent that when an agreement was reached between Mgr Gonzi and Mr Mintoff, and the interdict was revoked, the people wished to erase this terrible period from their minds completely, and sweep it under the carpet.
Teatrutramm and Inizjamed will be presenting L-Interdett taht is-sodda, in collaboration with St James Cavalier, Valletta. The project explores the theme of "cemeteries" from a number of perspectives.
It examines the concept of history as a cemetery and of cemeteries as history. The specific story of the Maltese cemetery emerges too, and the play emphasises that when a person does not narrate his story, no matter what the reason, it will be buried forever.
In the play there are two characters, Mimì and the gravedigger. Mimì died during the interdict period and, since she was active within the MLP, was buried in the mizbla. Because the ground there was not consecrated, her soul was unable to go either to heaven or to hell. And so she haunted the Addolorata cemetery, waiting for somebody to visit her desolate grave. The gravedigger sits on the grave of his mate, Giljan, who was also a gravedigger, and recalls moments, both humorous and otherwise, which they had spent together at work. In an utterly sarcastic tone, the gravedigger speaks about many things that exasperate him about Malta - things which, naturally, have to do solely with his work.
Directed by Marcelle Teuma with a script by Clare Azzopardi, taking part are Joe Galea, Marion Zammit and Alison Desira.
The play will be performed between Friday and Sunday at St James Cavalier.