A new play in Maltese about homelessness opens at The Splendid this week, shedding light on an issue many of us have no real idea about. Jo Caruana chats to writer and director Tyrone Grima

Until quite recently, homelessness and Malta didn’t seem to go hand-in-hand. To this day, many assume that – because we can’t see beggars on the streets or people sleeping in ditches – they are not there. But, a new play penned and directed by Tyrone Grima, who has experienced first-hand how homelessness does affect many on the island, begs to differ.

“When I started working at Dar Osanna Pia, I was very surprised by the stories I began to hear from residents there,” explains Grima, who is head of pastoral care for the home, as well as for Dar Mamma Margherita. “Like most people, I didn’t think Malta had much of a homelessness problem, so I was shocked to learn that many individuals are living in condemned buildings, in their cars, and in other little spaces that are well below human standards.”

As a playwright, Grima was immediately inspired to share these stories, and connected with one particular resident who was eager to share this story. It is this story that provides much of the inspiration for Zayden – a one-man, one-hour-long play starring Jacob Piccinino that will be performed at The Splendid this weekend.

Zayden has an entertaining sense of humour and tells tales of getting up to a fair amount of monkey business in life.

The protagonist’s story takes him back to childhood, when he and his mother were victims of domestic violence in a low-income household. After living with the violence for many years, his mother decided to take her children out of the dangerous situation they were in but couldn’t afford anywhere for them to live. “We would basically roam around Birkirkara for much of the time,” Damien* says, speaking anonymously.

“For a while, we would sleep in an abandoned cinema, as it was the only way to have a roof over our heads. But, of course, we couldn’t risk being seen – so we would have to climb over rooftops to get to the cinema, and then climb down into the building that way. We had to be very quiet so no one would hear us and would have to leave by 5am to avoid being spotted. If we did oversleep, we had to spend the whole day in there hiding – just staring at one another – until it was dark enough to leave. My mother would then beg for food, and we would eat it in Railway Track Gardens, until finding somewhere else to sleep.” 

Eventually, this individual and his family were able to register with Aġenzija Appoġġ and were offered the services of a social worker. The young man was eventually given a place to live at Dar Osanna Pia, which helps its residents to integrate into society, build their skills, develop educationally and find a job. “It’s about helping them to build their own future,” Grima says.

In fact, Zayden is being produced in collaboration with the Salesians of Don Bosco, who run both Dar Osanna Pia and Dar Mamma Margherita, which also has a similar remit. Proceeds from the show will be donated to the Salesians of Don Bosco to support this work.

“Yes the topic is a hard one to hear about, but it’s certainly not doom and gloom,” continues Grima. “Aside from the difficulties he faced, Zayden has an entertaining sense of humour and he tells tales of getting up to a fair amount of monkey business in life, including escaping from the police, stealing fruit from San Anton Gardens, and a mock village procession.

“So I am very excited to be staging this production in Maltese. It will make you laugh, and it will make you shed a tear. Most of all, though, it will make you feel the need to stand up and do something to change the situation and make this world a better place.”

ZAYDEN is being staged at The Splendid, Strait Street, Valletta, opening at 8pm on July 25. The show’s run will continue on July 26, 27 and 28 with two performances per night at 7.30pm and 9pm. Tickets are €15.90. Booking is now open, with tickets and more information available at www.showshappening.com.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.