Updated 3.39pm with Staġun Teatri Malti statement

A playwright who wrote the script for an upcoming Maltese play on abortion has distanced herself from the production, stating the work does not represent her.

Posting on Facebook on Monday, London-based actress Marta Vella openly spoke out about Iġri Neħles a play scheduled for the Manoel Theatre between November 25-27. 

"I have no idea what will be put on the Manoel stage. The work does not represent me and for that reason, there is no way that I can risk my artistic integrity being put on the line by being associated with the show," Vella said.

The play's promotional poster lists Vella as the scriptwriter and James Cucciardi as the director.

An initial poster for the play that was released on social media featured ultrasound images of a fetus. Vella mocked the poster design as "embarrassing", saying she could not believe the national theatre allowed "homemade designs plagued with spelling mistakes and a million sins of graphic design to go public."

The ultrasound image, she continued, was typically used "by the anti-choice lobby." 

At the time of writing, the Manoel Theatre website featured a simpler poster for the play, which does not include ultrasound imagery. 

This is Vella's second production relating to Malta's strict abortion rules. Vella co-produced and is one of the performers of Blanket Ban, a play based on women who are affected by the abortion laws in Malta.

That play received rave reviews at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

Last saw the script back in 2020

In her post, Vella said she had been commissioned by theatre producer Mario Philip Azzopardi to write the Iġri Neħles script for his company Staġun Teatru Malti back in 2018.

Vella said she last saw the script in February 2020. 

After submitting the script draft, she said Azzopardi asked for her opinion on casting. She said she emailed him to say an “experienced female director is the way to go" for the production.

"A male voice for a female-centric play would be counterproductive”, she said. 

Vella's mother, director Josette Ciappara, was given the role. Rehearsals kicked off in February 2020 but the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced all work on the production to stop.

“A few months later, in the middle of lockdown, I ended up in the midst of a saga which involved chasing payments for the cast for their rehearsals," she said.

"This culminated in me being sent a cease and desist from the producer telling me to stay away from the production. Coincidentally, around the same time, my mother was informed that her services weren’t needed anymore, and she was let go as director.”

She said that in June this year, the producer messaged her to inform her the November dates for Iġri Neħles had been secured. She was asked if she would want to direct it, but she declined. That was the first time she had communicated with the production company in 18 months, she said.  

Vella criticised the decision to hire James Ciappara as the play's director, although she did not name him.  

He is “neither female nor an experienced theatre director", she said. 

A source involved in the production told Times of Malta that just one of the eight actors originally cast in the play is slated to appear in the production. 

Producer: Vella is 'incorrect'

But the play's producer, Mario Philip Azzopardi, dismissed Vella's comments. 

"I wish Marta the best of career, I hope she will leave an impact too," he told Times of Malta. 

"This is a business, and Marta's side of the business was done, finished and she was paid."

Azzopardi said that Vella's statement was incorrect, though he did not go into detail about which parts of her statements he believed were untrue. 

"The only thing I will say is that Vella had nothing to do with paying actors. It took some time for me to deal with the Manoel Theatre and secure payments with the actors. The rest is immature and totally incorrect," he said before ending the call.

Azzopardi later issued a lengthy statement through his production Staġun Teatru Malti, providing a lengthier explanation of his perspective.

Vella's script belonged to the company, Azzopardi said, and while she would have played a key role in casting if she had accepted to direct the play when offered to, she had declined that offer. 

"Disagreements in the business are as common as breathing. Yes, words are exchanged which are not always the best one can choose.  BUT THE SHOW MUST GO ON," Azzopardi wrote. 

He wished Vella the best of luck, saying working with her had been "a joy". 

 

Manoel Theatre to go ahead with production

The theatre's CEO, Massimo Zammit said the decision to stage Iġri Neħles was made by the board back in 2019. 

"After obvious hold-ups related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Teatru Manoel is now honouring that commitment this coming season," he said.

"While creative control and coordination for this co-production is in the hands of Stagun Teatru Malti, our team at Teatru Manoel will be working to ensure that the high standards associated with the National Theatre are upheld."