Rediffusion Jippreżenta..., a play that satirises the days when radio broadcasts in Malta took place via Rediffusion, is being put up at Spazju Kreattiv.

Radio-plays in Malta became widely popular in August 1950 when the Malta Drama League brought together a number of companies and actors in a joint effort to play various radio-plays on the local station Rediffusion.

The first ever soap opera on Rediffusion was Ħajja Maltija written by Fr Wistin Born, mostly renowned for his novel Is-Salib Tal-Fidda. Each episode was 15 minutes long and aired more than once a week.

The plays on the Rediffusion were broadcast live in their entirety. This means that each sound effect had to be done at the moment: from the slightest creaking door to the loudest of storms. And ‘storms’ did also happen live in the studios between actors.

We will see all of this and more in the parody Rediffusion Jippreżenta..., forming part of the Culture Pass programme for schools for the current academic year. This play explores the historical aspect of the first radio-plays’ broadcasts in Malta, giving a closer look on how these radio-plays were produced.

Trevor Zahra’s experience, both in the writing industry and in the local media, together with the historical research conducted by Toni Sant in the book Remembering Rediffusion in Malta, led to this piece being written and produced in front of students in schools.

Apart from the play, this project includes a feature with various interviews with people that lived in this era recounting their experience.

The cast features Henry Zammit Cordina, Carlos Farrugia, Rachel Micallef, Aaron Fenech, Charles Falzon, Chris Grech and Leighanne Abela, under the direction of Joseph Galea.

The play is being put up at Spazju Kreattiv, St James Cavalier), Valletta, on May 4 and 5 at 8pm. Tickets are available online.

www.kreattivita.org