Staġun Teatru Malti is known for courting controversy in Maltese drama. Their production of Jien inħobb, inti tħobb earlier this year broke all records for Maltese plays at the Manoel Theatre. This week, they are presenting their most challenging production so far – Ċittadin Vassalli, about a most controversial character in Maltese history.

“The only time the Maltese fought against their own freedom was during the French Occupation. Mikiel Anton Vassalli tried to rally his compatriots but, instead, they allowed the powers of the Church and the local nobility, who had been divested of their titles by Napoleon, to steer them away from rights and laws that freed them from centuries of servitude and political irrelevance,” said director Mario Philip Azzopardi.

As Frans Sammut says in his introduction to his book Il-Ħolma Maltija, Vassalli was no saint.

The play is not a history lesson

His short-lived success after the arrival of the French and the ousting of the Order of St John, which he had fought against all his life, was thwarted by counter-resistance and outright militancy led by the Catholic Church which stood to lose its entrenched power.

The play is not a history lesson. It is a ‘fantasy’ of political conundrums staged to represent Vassalli’s own inner turmoil as he faced ignorant local political intransigence.

In many instances in the play there are stark parallels drawn between the ‘then’ and ‘now’ as regard to the present Maltese political sphere.

At other times, the play addresses national current issues, culminating into what many are calling a direct attack on our national anthem.

The play stars Sean Buhagiar in the lead role with John Suda as Dun Saverio Caruana, Mario Micallef as Dun Mikiel Xerri, Godwin Scerri as Grandmaster De Rohan and Larissa Bonaci as Katerina Formosa de Fremaux.

The dialogue, penned by Tyrone Grima, follows the modern Maltese idiom and all ‘foreign characters’ speak to each other in Maltese.

• Ċittadin Vassalli is being staged at the Manoel Theatre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8pm. Tickets may be obtained by phone on 2124 6389, e-mail: bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt, or online at www.teatrumanoel.com.mt.

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