There are few Maltese authors as prolific as Trevor Zahra. Children have grown into adults with his immensely beautiful and memorable tales as companions.

And, now, the author will be bringing his very special brand of magic to Xagħret Mewwija the script of which he has written. Here, we will learn more about what inspires him and how slowing down is definitely (and thankfully) not going to be on the menu any time soon.

So, after all these years, where does he find inspiration? “Whenever I fish in the pond of my childhood, I usually end up with a good catch. Childhood memories offer us a rich and immeasurable source of inspiration. But one has to develop a hunter’s instinct,” Trevor says.

“Ideas don’t just come by as a whimsical gift by a so-called Miss Muse. They have to be sought after and tracked down. I believe we’re continually assailed by invisible stories that move and twirl around us like radio waves. The writer has this personal apparatus with which he’s able to capture these ‘waves’ and translate them into a narrative.”

It was Trevor’s ability to capture and translate these invisible stories into narratives which made him the ideal candidate for Xagħret Mewwija, a theatrical production that combines a beautiful mixture of fantasy and historical fact.

“In 2004, I published a small book of satirical verse on Maltese history called  Mota f’Ġieħ Kemm Hemm, a set of some 24 poems interpreting the history of our islands from prehistoric times to the modern era, with a tongue-in-cheek attitude. So, when I was presented with the idea of a satirical play on the history of Valletta, I just considered it to be an extension of the above-mentioned book. We had lots of think-tank sessions which were sheer fun.  It’s always exciting to watch a play taking shape; developing from its embryonic conception to maturity.”

Wanting to produce something which was both entertaining and provocative, the play began to take form when Trevor and the other members of the production team sat down and started the arduous process of sifting through Maltese history for the most interesting episodes and characters.

“We started choosing those historical periods with the best theatrical potential, identifying and moulding characters, setting the mood and finally breaking down the play into scenes,” he says.

Once the work was organised in a methodical way, it only took the author a couple of weeks to finalise the play. “Maltese history was always one of my favourite subjects, but I still needed to go deeper into the actual facts and myth. In such a piece of work, myth and legend tend to carry weight more than the documented historical facts.”

In a play that promises to be full of smiles and thought-inducing moments, Trevor’s favourite character is the infamous Dragut.

“Dragut is an amusing, witty, prejudiced, incisive, funny sort of scoundrel.  He’s always poking fun at society but over the years he has developed a kind of love-hate relationship with our island. One shouldn’t take him too seriously, because he is never politically correct!”

Trevor has a jam-packed schedule till the end of the year.

“I’m really excited about Xagħret Mewwija and how it will be received. But, as soon as that run is completed there’s a whole new list of things for me. At the end of October and beginning of November,  4Teenth Productions will be staging Dominic Said’s adaptation of my Kunċett and Marinton Anecdotes at the Malta Drama Centre in Ħamrun. On October 30, Merlin Publications will launch my new book of short stories, anecdotes, and monologues. Starting on December 8, Teatru Malta will stage Il-Madonna Tiegħi Aħjar minn Tiegħek, an operetta with my libretto and music score by Alex Vella Gregory.”

Xagħret Mewwija will be performed on October 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 15 at 8pm at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta. Tickets are available online.

www.kreattivita.org

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