The play Androcles and the Lion will be held at Hastings Garden, Valletta, this weekend to help a four-year-old boy with a rare medical condition.

Funds collected during the play will go towards the trust fund of Sven Mifsud who suffers from a condition called Proteus syndrome, which involves the disproportionate overgrowth of his left leg. He will have to undergo several operations throughout his life.

This weekend, Sven will be undergoing an operation to straighten his left leg and reduce soft tissue. After that, he will be wheelchair-bound for about three months, so he needs all the support he can get.

The play, today and tomorrow, was originally planned to be staged at Melita Gardens in Balzan but there has been a last-minute change in venue, being moved to Hastings Gardens.

Androcles and the Lion, aimed at people aged over 16, tells the tale of Androcles, an escaped slave who is saved by the requited mercy of a lion, which he had previously helped when wounded.

The play examines in a serious and comic way why Christian martyrs were thrown to the lions, not necessarily because they were Christians but because they were different.

Tickets cost €10 and are available from Max Mara outlets and Peach and Sorrel beauty centre in Santa Venera. Bookings can also be made via events@rotaractmalta.org or by calling 9940 5239/9982 8484.

For information visit www.nonsuchplayer.org and www.rotaractmalta.org.