A play that premieres on Friday draws attention to the controversial topic of construction and its impact on culture and tradition.
Dik Is-Siġra f’Nofs ta’ Triq (that tree in the middle of a street), by Theatre Anon and Teatru Malta, is based on a work of the same name by author and poet Immanuel Mifsud.
Trees were being chopped down to widen roads with no thought given to environmental impacts- Author Immanuel Mifsud
He wrote it in response to large-scale infrastructure works going on in Malta at the time.
“It was a direct reaction to what was happening a few years ago, primarily the Central Link Project,” Mifsud told Times of Malta yesterday.
“Trees were being chopped down to widen roads with no thought given to environmental impacts,” he said.
Trees take centre stage
Steeped in magical realism and political commentary, the production promises to take audiences on a journey – narratively and physically – through the events on a fictional Maltese street, as a planned hotel threatens to uproot not just a tree at its centre but the lives and traditions of those who live there.
Trees take centre stage, both dominating the set and providing the focal point for a narrative that explores Malta’s relationship with construction.
The play examines “who we are as Maltese, and what our environment means to us,” said co-director Chris Gatt.
The audience are not seated conventionally. Instead, Dik Is-Siġra f’Nofs ta’ Triq takes them on a journey out of the theatre and around the MCAST campus in Paola.
Despite the “unique logistical challenges,” this allows audiences to explore different scenarios while reflecting a key part of Maltese culture, Gatt said.
“It’s part of our lifestyle... we constantly have processions – marching bands during festas, for example,” he said.
Script in verse, costumes made out of recycled materials
Set to a score written by Albert Garcia, the script is unusual for being written in verse while most of the sets and costumes are made out of recycled materials.
The play will premiere as part of the Malta International Arts Festival, which runs from today until Sunday, June 25.
Teatru Malta artistic director Sean Buhagiar said the performance brings “various levels of value”.
The genre of magical realism was not well represented in Maltese literature, he said, adding that the production highlighted a “battle between progress and nostalgia”.
The production also poses important questions about the nature of community in modern Malta.
“Do we have communities today or people just living near to each other?” Buhagiar postulated.
In May, Teatru Malta made headlines when it tied pink ribbons around tree trunks across the country as part of a publicity campaign to raise awareness about the upcoming production.
The stunt initially caused widespread alarm, with online commenters wondering whether the trees were being marked for removal or if the action was part of an elaborate protest.
Audience members are advised to wear comfortable shoes for Dik Is-Siġra f’Nofs ta’ Triq, opening today at the MCAST campus in Paola.
Concessions of €5 are available for under 25s, while those over 60, blood donors and nurses pay €15.
For further information, visit teatrumalta.org.mt.