The infamous 1986 Tal-Barrani clashes marked one of Malta’s darkest political chapters. Almost 40 years later, a 23-year-old playwright is reviving the political wounds of the 1980s through a new theatrical production.

Il-Manifest tal-Qlub Maqsuma kicks off a two-weekend run at Spazju Kreattiv today. The play is the work of Miguel Formosa, who also directs, co-writes and co-produces it. He was joined by 28-year-old Josue Formosa as co-writer and co-producer.

“What upsets me is that I think we are the first to tackle this on stage,” Miguel said, referring to the infamous clash between Nationalist and Labour supporters and the police.

“Why did it take people in their 20s to tackle the subject and write about it? It made me think: Is this country so traumatised that we still can’t bring ourselves to discuss this period?”

The incidents took place on November 30, 1986, when PN and Labour supporters clashed after the Nationalist Party announced a mass meeting in Żejtun – traditionally a Labour stronghold. At the time, the Labour Party saw the venue as a provocation, leading the police to withdraw the event permit, citing public order concerns. The PN insisted on its right to freedom of expression and took the case to court, which approved its right to hold the meeting.

The cast at Spazju Kreattiv. Photos: Jake Gialanzè

Barricades were set up around Żejtun to keep thousands of PN supporters out. But the situation soon spiralled out of control, with shots fired, stones thrown, and police releasing tear gas from behind barricades. A number of injuries were reported, including two PN supporters who even had the tips of their noses bitten off.

The situation got worse in the next few days. Raymond Caruana, a PN supporter, was shot dead at the PN club in Gudja on December 5, 1986, in a drive-by shooting.

The play follows Kris Pisani, a dockyard worker caught in the political tension in the two weeks leading up to the Tal-Barrani clashes.

For people Formosa’s age, this period remains vague and largely unaddressed.

“Even when we studied history at school, we learnt about the Knights, the British, and, yet, Tal-Barrani and the 1958 riots (sparked by resistance to British rule) were never even mentioned to us,” he said.

Formosa said the play is the product of over 400 hours of interviews with witnesses, their children and academics. He and Josue spent several months writing.

“Josue and I were in my washroom for several months from 10pm to 4am every day working on the play,” Miguel said.

Originally, the play was not meant to centre on the Tal-Barrani clashes. Formosa had been researching Malta between the 1960s and 1980s but the subject kept resurfacing.

“My mum had mentioned Tal-Barrani and it felt like I just kept hearing about it. We knew it was a heavy subject and said we can’t do it. But, within two months, we knew we couldn’t avoid it.”

While he was eager to speak to those who experienced the events, Formosa quickly found many were reluctant.

“There was an old guy next to my friend and I asked him if he was present at Tal-Barrani. He told me: ‘Why do you ask?’ And he told me never to ask that again,” he said.

A scene from the play.

“This is our history,” said Miguel, explaining his decision to focus the play around the dockyard, where his father worked.

“The dockyard was the beating heart of this country and it’s been lost and forgotten.”

Formosa said the project also helped him understand his father better.

“I remember once seeing him with blood on his foot but he wouldn’t say anything. Later, I learned he had fallen off a crane. Later, he cried when he found out the place was being taken over. How could you love a place that had hurt you so much,” he said.

Talking to his father and others helped him realise how much the dockyard shaped his father’s and the national identity.

The play is not strictly realistic, Miguel explained.

“There is a real story, and it is linear, but the style is not realistic. It is playful. I think this country needs to grow, but we can only do that if we look back and learn from our mistakes.”

While the play cannot cover all the events at Tal-Barrani, it is a “start”.

Though he has been involved in theatre, it is Formosa’s first time directing a production of this scale.

“It is a learning curve because I don’t know everything at this age,” he said, adding it was a privilege to direct actors he admired growing up, such as Peter Galea. Despite the demands, he described the process as “incredibly exhilarating”.

Supported by Arts Council Malta and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, the play also features Ben Abela, Mikhail Basmadjian, Raquel Theuma, Michela Farrugia, Gianni Selvaggi, Marvic Doughty and Charlotte Formosa.

Subtitles in English will be available on two nights.