For the most part, we live in a liberalised society that has embraced gay rights and which is working to make the lives of minority groups better and fairer.

However, we don’t have to look too far away to realise how lucky we are.

With reduced rights for gay people in Russia, for instance, and the torture and murder of others under ISIS rule, we are reminded how far we have come since being homosexual was considered illegal even in the Western world.

And it is exactly the journey behind that progress that will be explored in the MADC’s upcoming production of The Pride – a play that dips into the then-and-now of how gay relationships are treated in our society.

The story begins in 1958 when Philip (played by Malcolm Galea) is married to Sylvia (Julia Calvert) but finds himself falling in love with another man. His refusal to acknowledge his true nature leads both him and the people he loves to a devastating conclusion that unravels through the text.

Then, in the present day, Oliver (Philip Leone Ganado) is addicted to anonymous sexual encounters. Forced to make a choice between promiscuity and monogamy, he has to ask himself fundamental questions on the nature of intimacy and identity.

This is a play that has captured attention worldwide and which, since its London premiere, has debuted in the US, Australia and beyond.

Director Michael Mangion explains that, when looking for a tried-and-tested script to direct, his first port of call is usually the Royal Court Theatre in London – and this occasion was no different.

The play certainly has received rave reviews. It premiered in 2008 at the Royal Court Theatre to critical acclaim and quickly won the Critics’ Circle Prize for Most Promising Playwright, the John Whiting Award for Best New Play and the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an affiliate theatre.

The director was immediately drawn to it because, in his words, it is as an “era-spanning masterpiece”. The play explores the relationships of its three main protagonists in two very different periods: the repressed 1950s and liberal present-day.

“These three characters exist in two different time periods and come to learn that, even though social conventions may change, the pursuit of self-knowledge and true happiness remains as challenging as ever,” Mangion continues.

“It is so beautifully written and constructed, with language that clearly defines the two eras, a range of fascinating characters (seven in total, played by four actors, including cameos by Ben Milton) and intriguing relationships.

Nothing is shown through rose-tinted glasses

“Will it raise eyebrows? Well, there are scenes with strong language and sexual content but nothing that a grown-up audience cannot handle. I hope that, if eyebrows are raised, it will be out of a sense of awareness of the harm that prejudice, discriminatory legislation and social pressures can cause.”

Speaking personally, Mangion explains that he also wanted to present this play as a nod towards all the gay activism he has participated in over the years, while he lived in London.

“It is a thumbs up to all the hours I spent in the freezing weather protesting outside the houses of parliament, going on all those marches and campaigning from the stage with the London Gay Men’s Chorus,” he says.

And, although the play is seven years old (during which time substantial progress has been made with regards to gay rights) Mangion believes that the part of the The Pride that examines changing attitudes to sexuality will always be relevant as a historical reference point.

In terms of gay rights and liberation (which is the underlying theme of the play) the past 60 years have been the most eventful period, starting with homosexuality being a crime and an illness in the 1950s, right up to the legalisation of same-sex marriage today.

“The Pride is an acknowledge-ment of our history that shows us where we’ve come from to where we are now,” Mangion says.

“The play is a very honest portrayal of gay life, now and then. Nothing is shown through rose-tinted glasses and it raises just as many intriguing issues about the repression of the 1950s as it does about the liberalism of today.”

The Pride, however, also examines the uinversal themes of love, lust and betrayal. “As long as these continue to exist, and there are no signs that they’re abating, this script will always remain relevant,” the director says.

Of course, the team behind this production also hope that their audiences will relate to or, at least, connect to it in some way.

“The theatre has a way of reaching out to people. Sometimes this happens as a result of a similar experience to that of a character, through empathy or recognition, or perhaps by highlighting something that a friend of relative may have gone through. Thus, it is potentially very powerful.

“Drama also brings to life unusual and unfamiliar situations and can thus shock its audience out of its comfort zone and challenge their mental and/or moral apathy.

@Either way, although The Pride is primarily a gay play, its essence is all about the complexity of relationships, gay or straight, and the search for happiness and self-awareness. And those are things we can definitely all relate to,” Mangion says.

The Pride runs between April 24 and May 10 at St James Cavalier, Valletta.

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