Id-drammi ta’ Alfred Buttigieg

By Alfred Buttigieg, introduction by Marco Galea

Klabb Kotba Maltin, 2024

The publication of Id-Drammi ta’ Alfred Buttigieg by Klabb Kotba Maltin (2024) marks the end of an era, according to its author, Alfred Buttigieg. It is an era spanning 42 years of an incisive, unsentimental scrutiny of Maltese societal norms and a declared commitment to originality and exploration of theatrical conventions.

Buttigieg was active in the years of the Lyceum Youth Theatre and later Ateatru, where the early works, influenced by the Theatre of the Absurd, particularly the works of Pinter and Beckett, were performed for the first time.

Of his early works, Buttigieg remarked: “Bus Stop and Ilqugħ għad-Dawl I found a bit dated, but I refused to update them. They’re a product of their time.”

One of Buttigieg’s most significant contributions is Ir-Rewwixta tal-Qassisin, which premiered in 1986 and was reprised in 2005 at the Manoel Theatre. This pseudo-historical play imagines the return of Dun Mannarinu, 15 years after the failure of the revolt of the priests against Grand Master Ximenes. Written in a Brechtian style and borrowing from the play-within-a-play structure of Weiss’s Marat/Sade, it throws a cynical look on Maltese history and is brutally unforgiving on every important institution of Maltese public life. 

Ippermettili Nitlaq (2008) confronts us with an ethical dilemma of two new parents-to-be faced by the news that their unborn child will be born with an acute case of omphalocele.

The lopsided structure ‒ with a long first act setting out the dilemma and a possible outcome encouraged by the attending medic, balanced out by a troubling short second act ‒ is a truly original piece of theatre craft. The play, written after a hiatus of 20 years from Ir-Rewwixta, was recognised in the 2010 European Theatre Convention as one of the top 120 contemporary European plays.

His plays remain a testament to his unwavering commitment to artistic integrity and social commentary

The light comedy Dwar Menopawsi, Minorenni u Muturi High Speed (2012) casts a cold eye on a contemporary Maltese family, as it slowly disintegrates thanks to the mid-life crises of the main protagonists.

In 2016, Buttigieg presented Mela Hawn Xi Manikomju? – a play that offers a candid portrayal of the challenges faced by the elderly. The production was praised for its honest depiction of ageing and the societal expectations placed on the elderly. The work illustrates Buttigieg’s ability to observe human frailties and translate them into a sensitive, occasionally hilarious portrait of life at the very edge.

L-Interrogazzjoni and L-Arrest ta’ Danny Weed, his last two works, are based on real-life events and reflect the author’s commitment to remain relevant to contemporary audiences. Both highlight the friction between an elusive, uncomfortable truth and a determination to look unflinchingly at facts.

The styles chosen, however, surprise us. L-Interrogazzjoni is a game-like reverie, staged in an immersive style that heightened the play’s psychological intensity, where the audience is tasked with keeping up with the almost dream-like sequences. 

A scene from the launch of the publication. Photo: Andre Gialanze

L-Arrest ta’ Danny Weed, on the other hand, is written as a broad farce, based on a true event, namely the rather bungled arrest of Daniel Holmes, who was controversially sentenced to 10 years in jail. Buttigieg here mixes his signature straight-faced and dry humour with broad lashings of slapstick and physical humour. 

The author’s contributions to Maltese theatre are both profound and enduring. His works challenge audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about society, politics and human nature. As he steps back from writing, his plays remain a testament to his unwavering commitment to artistic integrity and social commentary.

Klabb Kotba Maltin is to be acknowledged for its own artistic integrity when publishing this collection, which would sit very comfortably in any theatre-lover’s library.

Id-Drammi ta’ Alfred Buttigieg is available at Agenda Bookshops in Republic Street, Valletta and Tigné Point, Sliema.