Drago: It-Tvenvin ta’ Tornado Tony, a biographical work produced by Teatru Malta and penned by writer André Mangion, is a play inspired by the life of the legendary Maltese professional snooker and pool player Tony Drago, better known within his own snooker circles as Tornado Tony. Staged at the La Vallette band club under the direction of Sean Buhagiar between March 11 and 20, the play paid tribute to a complex, fiery character as he oscillates between victory and defeat.  

There was something rather special about the play being staged at the La Vallette band club, around the snooker table to the left, bar in view. I have memories of sitting at the tables there with my grandfather as a child after a day’s outing in Valletta. I don’t think I had set foot in there since, although I doubt anything in the place had changed since then.

Teatru Malta’s out of the box approach to selecting locations for their productions is probably one of their strongest features. Drago’s Valletta roots are brought to light even before audiences cross the threshold of the band club, long before the play gives us glimpses of his upbringing around snooker tables across the city.

Peter Galea’s rendition of Drago was engrossing and convincing. I could hear fellow audience members comment on how similar Galea’s Drago was to Drago himself: “Eżatt bħalu jagħmel,” (he’s just like him) I hear them say.

Even the snooker balls are made alive through lighting and sound effects.

The play begins with Drago setting the scene for his success on the world stage, recounting how his speed led him to become one of the top ten snooker players in the world. In between boasts he grits his teeth and pronounces his failings, which he decries as preventing him from becoming the best in the world.

Despite his strong family ties, especially to his mother, he makes the move to the UK where he plays professionally. Nevertheless, he remains Toni ta’ Sina tal-Belt. His combination of fast play and emotional temperament make him a popular character in the snooker world. He reaches great heights and plays against some of snooker’s best players, but he also struggles with tax problems brought about by mismanagement of his funds and a rather damaging YouTube video showing him at his worst.

Galea captures Drago’s Jekyll and Hyde nature in all its forms, from his temperament to his career achievements. He goes from amiable and light-hearted, even interacting with audience members in ad lib moments, to erupting in a fiery rage, damning his fate vowing never to trust anyone again.

Albeit a cast of one, various other characters are present onstage despite their physical absence, many of which make their way there through television screens and phone calls. Even the snooker balls are made alive through the lighting and sound effects coming about as they dance across the table. The most notable of these characters is Drago’s mother, who anchors Drago amid his moments of desolation and gives him solace, reminding him that he always has a home to return to.

Tony Drago himself made his way onstage at the end of the play.

At the end of the production, Drago himself made his way onstage to much applause. At that point, the play stopped being a play, becoming more of a gathering instead – an occasion to meet a Maltese hero.

The two Dragos – one fictional, one real – played against each other until time ran out. Much akin to the theme of fluctuation inherent to the play, the production too presented itself in a hybrid fashion – sometimes fictional, sometimes real – exemplified especially during moments of interaction with the audience.

Drago: It-Tvenvin ta’ Tornado Tony is a reminder that Malta needs its own heroes, its own people to look up to, and not always look outside our shores to find such people. The play is a fitting tribute to such a legendary figure.

Drago – It-Tvenvin Ta’ Tornado Tony was co-produced with the Valletta Cultural Agency