It is widely acknowledged that Sholem Aleichem, the leading Yiddish author and playwright, had written the play Fiddler On The Roof after getting acquainted with Marc Chagall's painting The Fiddler.
In Marc Chagall's world, the fiddler is a metaphor for survival, through tradition and joyfulness, in a life of uncertainty and imbalance.
In the latest twist in the tale on the construction of the new theatre and Parliament in Valletta, Malta's very top artistes must have taken a leaf out of Aleichem's book and decided to call it quits with all the uncertainty surrounding the modus of regeneration of the former Opera House and petitioned Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, asking him to gently instruct his namesake, Renzo Piano, to give the green light to a roofed theatre, as opposed to an open-air venue.
This laudable collective effort was made a few days after the Prime Minister's meeting with Prof. Piano in Paris wherein the two gentlemen (three, if we include Minister Austin Gatt) have apparently discussed a long list of pending issues on the project.
The idea of a roofed theatre, by Dr Gonzi's own admission, was, however, not one of them and this must have been the last straw that broke the camel's back.
The Prime Minister, after receiving the artistes' strongly-worded petition, has publicly stated he will enter into a round of dialogue with them, while hinting that the open-air theatre was, at the end of the day, Prof. Piano's idea.
All this begs an important question. Since when has consultation become an after-thought or the forced result of a collective "revolt"? Since when has dialogue become something that must be reverted to when there is no other way out?
Labour had stated from day one that there should have been a short but effective period of consultation with all interested parties, including the opposition, on the construction of the new theatre and the new Parliament, in line with the true spirit of democracy to turn this project into a truly national one.
The Prime Minister, however, dismissed all calls for consultation and went on record to claim that Malta has been discussing this project long enough and, therefore, there is no such need for further consultation.
All this is, of course, hogwash. Two colleagues of his have, during this same legislature, piloted very successfully two important reforms after making effective but short periods of consultation. Former Minister John Dalli piloted the much-awaited rent reform and Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said drove home the reform on local government with considerable success.
They would be the first to vouch that consultation had managed to better the end result. On both occasions, Labour made its fruitful suggestions, which were, most of them, taken on board and made part and parcel of the final position. Pity that those two gentlemen found themselves sidelined in the government set-up for reasons best known to the Prime Minister notwithstanding their successful track record.
It is high time that the Prime Minister realises that this project is not his own personal venture but belongs to the entire nation. Failure to do so would be an unforgivable sin.
Dr Bonnici is Labour spokesman for youth and culture