Malta-based playwright John Baraldi’s new play, Apotheosis, opened on Thursday night at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.
The protagonist of this political drama portray's Malta’s first female prime minister – a fictional character named Dolores, played by Angele Galea.
“I have always seen the play as something that happens in Dolores’s mind,” explains Marc Cabourdin, who directs the piece.
“As a result, the staging and the set are not particularly realistic but more of a metaphor for her state of mind.”
Mr Cabourdin explains that although the piece is written in 10 ‘cycles’, the play is very much brought to life by the fact it jumps from one era to another.
“We land in her significant moments and this helps us to understand what she was going through at that time,” he says.
The director highlights how from the music and the set to the character’s notebooks and diaries, every element informs certain elements of the piece.
“What’s really fun is seeing Angele’s performance of Dolores in her true self: vulnerable, naked and with no holds barred. Over the course of this journey we have worked within the parameters to craft the world that we were creating for Dolores.”
In the play, Dolores is considered to be a political outcast and deemed by many to be a traitor.
The plot sees her alone in her home at the end of her career and life. She is writing her tell-all memoirs in the hope that her revelations will shake the political establishment to its foundations. She is under police protection as a result of the many threats she has received on her life.
What makes this piece noteworthy is the fact it is constantly changing and growing
“What makes this piece noteworthy is the fact it is constantly changing and growing,” Mr Cabourdin continues.
“In fact, even though the run has begun in earnest, we are still finding new nuances as to who the character is and what she does.”
The director admits that what he really loves about the piece is how Dolores is given different voices: as the girl from Cospicua; as the politician; as the mother who wants the best for her daughter; as a champion of women; and as she confides with the people she trusts in her Cabinet.
“Each scene has a very different conversational audience and creating that was one of the most fun parts. They are the many facets that we all have as human beings,” Mr Cabourdin says.
Apotheosis will be performed at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and from March 14 to March 17 at 8pm, with a matinee performance on March 13 at 2pm. A number of complementary workshops are also planned.
For bookings, as well as information on the workshops, visit www.kreattivita.org.
