What do boxing champions, bird trappers, professional mimes, għannejja and winners of the Royal Court’s Pinter Commission, and Our Lady of Sorrows all have in common? They all form an intrinsic part of Teatru Malta’s vision for 2018.

Sean Buhagiar, artistic director of Teatru Malta.

Teatru Malta was only launched in 2017 and it’s come a long way since its inception in 2016; now even more so with the launch of its first ever programme. A programme buzzing and brewing with interesting and innovative projects that aim to keep up with the expectations surrounding the newly-formed national theatre without walls. Teatru Malta introduces itself to the public with a brand of seemingly ground-breaking productions. Posterity will tell whether these initiatives will revolutionise, de-stabilise or change anything, but it surely all looks mighty interesting so hold on tight.

So what’s so special? Well for starters, it’s production locations – Teatru Malta kept to its word by decentralising its work. It first launched its first regional office in Żejtun with the hopes of exploring the cultural potential  outside our capital city’s walls. Secondly, it is using all sorts of venues – from the expected, to the unthinkable. There may be the Manoel Theatre, but did you ever think to consider the National Stadium? You can find Teatru Salesjan in Sliema but also Teatru Pandora in Żejtun. There are the streets during carnival but there are also the każini and social clubs around the island. Malta will be the company’s stage and you its audience.

Teatru Malta introduces itself to the public with a brand of seemingly ground-breaking productions

The 2018 programme involves 18 productions, including an opera and an operetta. It includes projects meant to help the sector such as working on documentation of contemporary work but also the critical analysis of our theatrical history.

The productions are varied, dealing with different materials, different styles and, most of all, wide-ranging creative teams.

Co-productions are not lacking, with well acclaimed names such as Unifaun Theatre Company, the Rubberbodies Collective, MADC and ŻfinMalta, all joining forces in Teatru Malta’s 2018 programme. This looks like it will work like a charm, in an island bubbling with  a wide array of audiences and talented artists. 

“Teatru Malta was just an initiative on paper, this programme now brings it to life, it makes if useful,” said Sean Buhagiar, the artistic director of Teatru Malta, which was launched at Teatru Pandora among tens of enthusiastic artists and theatre-makers.

 “This is our first programme, a programme, we hope, where anyone should be able to find something entertaining, disturbing, enthralling or amazing.

“Here, we believe that theatre can make us all be better human beings. Let’s hope we play our part,” he concluded.