The government is looking into the possibility of installing a roof over Valletta’s open Royal Opera House theatre to lessen the inconvenience to residents in the vicinity.
Sources close to the government said discussions were under way and one of the options being looked at is the possibility of installing a retractable roof.
The possibility of the addition was first mentioned last year in the run-up to the election, when Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had said that the current design posed limitations on artists, was being underutilised and was proving to be an inconvenience to people living nearby.
The theatre raised controversy when it was being designed by Renzo Piano as part of the regeneration of Freedom Square and the new Parliament building.
Sources said there are several difficulties to install a roof that would blend in with the aesthetics of the building as well as serve as a sound barrier to break the noise.
The current design posed limitations on artists
In 2010, when the plans were still being discussed with the architects, 128 artists from across the cultural scene wrote to the prime minister telling him they oppose his decision to have a roofless theatre on the former opera house site.
Meanwhile, aside from the controversy of the open theatre, Pjazza Teatru Rjal on Friday launched its artistic programme for 2018 which promises to be an enriching contribution to Malta’s most important cultural milestone in recent history – Valletta 2018.
“Culture is becoming a priority in our everyday lives. Our country’s cultural programme is enriched with numerous festivals and events for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.
The variety and high quality of this evergrowing calendar is a clear sign that culture is increasingly becoming more accessible to the public and Pjazza Teatru Rjal’s artistic programme for this summer clearly fits the bill,” Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said during the launch.
The season covers most genres of music and dance, film, musical theatre, educational programmes and television shows.
Besides numerous local productions that will feature Maltese talent, this year’s programme will also see a star-studded line-up of top international artists performing at Pjazza Teatru Rjal.
These include Igudesman & Joo, the Swingles choir, international Jazz artists such as Bertil Strandberg, Rino Cirinna and Stjepko Gut, Hungaro-Ukrainian violinist of Eurovision fame Edvin Marton, Balázs Havasi – reputedly the world’s fastest pianist – and many others. Arts Council Malta’s chairman Albert Marshall said that “now that we can identify the advantages and disadvantages of the site, we look boldly at its future and see Pjazza Teatru Rjal will reinvent itself.”