A Maltese translation of a hilarious farce not only makes it accessible to the majority of the population but it can also be a great source of inspiration to Malta’s writers, says actress Marylu Coppini as she speaks to Veronica Stivala about Il-Giddieb Għomru Qasir.

We’ve all looked back in embarrassment, laughter, regret, stupefaction (take your pick) at bad decisions we’ve taken, but surely nothing quite beats the asinine decision a couple of cops take one day, nor for that matter, the string of comical consequences that come about as a result of their first lie.

The stage play The Lying Kind (Il-Giddieb Għomru Qasir, translated by Simone Spiteri) tells this such riotous tale. Produced by Unifaun Theatre Productions, the play will be performed in both English and Maltese.

Promising to be a laugh-a-minute farce, the play tells the story of two policemen who have been tasked with having to break the difficult news to an elderly couple that their daughter died in a train accident on Christmas Eve. Worried that the news might be too much for the parents, the policemen come up with a lie. Their lie is quickly exposed… so they lie again… and the more they lie, the messier things get for them. To make matters worse, there is a menacing vigilante on the streets…

Surprisingly written by the same Scottish playwright who gave us the controversial and scorchingly dark Stitching, the only thing in common between these two plays, at least in terms of audience reactions, is that they are both written by Anthony Neilson.

Veteran actress Marylu Coppini plays the victim’s mother, Garson Connor. This character is advanced in age and suffers from a relatively severe form of dementia. “Since Il-Giddieb is a black comedy this condition obviously contributes greatly to the black humour of the play in that Garson’s private reality often differs from what’s going on around her,” says Marylu, adding how in her demented outbursts the author reveals feelings and emotions suppressed by this woman for years.

Years back, when she was a child, more plays and books were successfully translated into Maltese

Speaking about the creative process behind the creation of her character, Marylu notes how Connor’s main idiosyncrasy is provided by the author. “You could almost say her character is a study of dementia but (Neilson) does this in a comedic way except that he also cleverly uses her demented outbursts as a means of revealing the shortcomings of the couple’s lifelong relationship.”  Marylu goes on to reveal that she “need[s] to play the character as sincerely as [she] can in [her] exchanges with the other characters”.

Despite the admittedly dark theme, the play remains funny thanks to Neilson’s brilliant script which, as Marylu puts it, “brings out the helplessness suffered by people in their old age while keeping the audience amused with the hilarity of the situation in question”.

It also cleverly pokes fun at the establishment and has a deep contempt for the hypocrisy which forms part of accepted social behaviour.

An interesting aspect of this particular production is the fact that it has been translated into Maltese. How does Marylu find Maltese lends itself to a play translated from English, and to a farce at that?

In principle, Marylu is totally in favour of good translations into Maltese of all kinds of foreign scripts, so that these can be better accessed by the majority of the population and increase the nation’s interest in theatre of all kinds.  She recalls how, years back, when she was a child, many more plays and books were successfully translated into Maltese.

“Indeed,” she asserts, “these formed the backbone of theatre and radio dramas and readings even for children, at the time. Exposure to these writings can be a great source of inspiration to our own writers, the number of which have sadly remained too few.”

What does she like best about the play/the script? “The way the author is so successful in sustaining the absurdity of the situation until the final twist at the end.”

So what has it been like to work on this production? Marylu comments how she is “really enjoying the opportunity of working with some of Malta’s most brilliant comedians of our time as well as with familiar friends like Michael Tabone and of course [director] Chris Gatt.”

Il-Giddieb Għomru Qasir runs at Sir Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, Tal-Qroqq on October 7, 9, 14, 15 and 16. Tickets are available online.

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