I could not help but congratulate Ramona Depares on her analysis of the possible reasons behind the unhappy state of Maltese theatre scripts (‘Not enough good quality Maltese theatre scripts’, Culture and Entertainment, The Sunday Times of Malta, March 2).

May I humbly add my take on potential ways forward to address the situation? The Alliance Française Malte-Méditerranée two years ago launched an initiative wherein a contemporary French piece was imported, translated into Maltese and offered to local audiences. It was Jasmine Reza’s acclaimed Le Dieu du Carnage in 2011 and Sébastien Thiéry’s comedy Comme s’il en pleuvait this year, both performed at St James Theatre in Valletta.

The Alliance’s scope is to offer another inspirational window that might help Maltese dramatists exploit diverse themes along the traditional Anglo, sometimes Italian, exposure. Last month, one leading Maltese dramatist in the audience observed that we had to wait for a French dark comedy to enjoy an excellent satire on consumerism.

For a non-profit organisation like the Alliance it is with limited budget juggling and national cultural interest at heart that such initiatives are taken. Workshops and foreign lectures definitely go a long way to help inject new curtain raisers in Maltese theatre but watching pieces other cultures are currently engaged in brings the message home in many other effective ways.

A good national plan to avoid any curtains down for Maltese theatre may include ‘invitations’ to international cultural organisations on the island to bring over foreign professional samples for our consumption. Ventilation helps replace stale air with fresh air.