Maltese theatre company takes multilingual Shakespeare to Verona

One theatre company known for its inventive takes on Shakespeare will premiere a multilingual retelling of Pericles, Prince of Tyre at a Shakespeare event in Verona later this month.

WhatsTheirNames Theatre company will stage Perikle f’Nofs Baħar on July 22 at the Verona Shakespeare Fringe, an international multilingual festival that serves as a space for plays and poetry by the Bard. The Maltese actors will be among other theatre companies from countries including Italy, Armenia and Hungary.

The company is perhaps best known for its popular Shakespeare in the Garden series but for its 10th anniversary, director Philip Leone Ganado said he wanted to create something “uniquely Maltese” while exploring the play’s Mediterranean setting and themes of migration, loss and homecoming.

“Ten years is a long time, so this felt like a good moment to try something new,” he told Times of Malta.

Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre follows a wandering prince who travels across the Mediterranean, surviving shipwrecks and separation as he searches for safety and reunion with his loved ones.

“What I love about this lesser-known play is that people are being tossed around the Mediterranean, being shipwrecked, lost and trying to find their way home,” he said.

“While we didn’t want to be too topical, it’s impossible to speak about the history of migration in the Mediterranean without also reflecting the temporary migration situation we see today.”

The full cast, made up of four actors: four actors, Gianni Selvaggi, Michela Farrugia, Nathan Brimmer and Sean Borg.

Leone Ganado said the production is more “experimental” than the company’s usual work but remains closely tied to Shakespeare’s plot and script. He said the work’s fragmented play is often adapted when staged and this gave the company room to experiment with language, music and form.

The production will be set in four languages: Maltese, English, Italian and Arabic. Leone Ganado, a former Times of Malta journalist, explained that the production’s use of language reflects the country’s multilingual identity and how all four languages are connected to the island in different ways.

“Maltese and English are official languages, Italian has a long cultural presence and Arabic is much closer to Maltese than many of us think,” he said.

The multilingual production will see all four cast members playing an instrument.

Music also plays a central role in the retelling, with all four actors, Gianni Selvaggi, Michela Farrugia, Nathan Brimmer and Sean Borg, all performing live music throughout the show.

The production also draws on the use of Maltese folk music though għana and Arabic-influenced folk music.

The Verona performance forms part of a Shakespeare event connected to the University of Verona, which brings together academics and theatre-makers from different countries.

Leone Ganado said the event reflects a wider interest in Shakespeare as a global playwright whose work does not belong to just one country or language but can be adapted for different cultures.

The company hopes to stage Perikle f’Nofs Baħar in Malta after the Verona premiere and is also looking at other touring opportunities.