A man wearing a crown stands towards the back of the room. Another man lies at his feet, his submissive status made clear by posture and body language. The air is tense and I find myself unconsciously clenching my muscles. Until an unexpectedly comic action changes the mood abruptly, making me and the handful of other people watching break into nervous titters.

This is all happening during one of the last rehearsal sessions of The Hate Politik, a theatre production that seems set to be one of the most intense and thought-provoking pieces presented on the Maltese stage this year.

Quite simply, the work – born out of a collaboration between team members Tommi Zeuggin and Kenneth Spiteri as main creators and performers, as well as artists Mario Sammut (music/sound) and Austin Camilleri (visuals and set) – brings dance, music and theatre together in a highly physical performance that will leave many viewers feeling uncomfortable in the best way possible.

"The Hate Politik is exactly what it says; it is a piece about how hate is cultivated and conditioned, about the fact that people are conditioned to hate a person, a place. It is very much inspired by current happenings, without making reference to a specific situation,” Spiteri says.

He adds that this is not a didactic piece and that the aim is not to teach people, but rather to touch them and to stimulate conversation.

“I want the piece to touch people. But on the night I also want the audience to have fun, to enjoy the production as a theatre piece. And, of course, to engage in the discussion, even with respect to stories that are relevant to them.

The Hate Politik takes place at St James Cavalier’s Spazju Kreattiv between October 10 and 17. The production is supported by the Malta Arts Fund.
www.kreattivita.org/