Teatru Malta’s dance-theatre piece O. saw the works of Oliver Friggieri leap off their pages

It’s common to think that the issues we face today exist only within the confines of our lives. Our grief feels unique to us, as do our political frustrations and struggles with faith.

O., which ran at the Manoel Theatre between October 29 and November 2, opened the door to the Maltese condition through the power of poetry.

Inspired by the life and work of Oliver Friggieri, who passed away last year, and his admiration for Dun Karm Psaila, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary since his birth, this dance-theatre piece saw the works of Friggieri and Psaila leap off their pages, under the direction of Sean Buhagiar and through the choreography of The MVMT’s own Cheryl Lofreda.

O. marked the return of the national theatre company Teatru Malta to live theatre since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and was the first performance to open its doors to a non-socially-distanced audience.

The dance crew The MVMT was a pleasant addition to the performance. Photo: Neil Grech

While devoid of a clear narrative, the performance, which was presented in chapters capturing various themes and episodes from Friggieri’s own life and writings, took the audience on a journey into the mind and heart of the writer it was inspired by. These chapters, seemingly disconnected, delivered fragmented gems which created a mosaic of Friggieri for the audience to take home.

Stalled by the pandemic, one would have expected Teatru Malta to put together a cast of household names to draw audiences back into the theatre. Instead, it opted for a less obvious choice of performers.

In a time of change and imbalance, everyone could use a bit more O

While we’ve seen Jamie Cardona perform with the company before, the rest of the cast was all new to Teatru Malta, each carefully selected to bring their unique craft on stage. Combined, they conjured a form of Friggieri which is beyond human yet as human as human gets – perhaps, the most accurate form of Friggieri.

Cheryl Lofreda and her dance crew The MVMT – a pleasant addition to the performance – were its limbs. The

visual metaphors they created through their machine-like synchronised movement served to emboss the words of the writer.

Chris Vella’s tunes – the blood flowing through all the other elements – were uncharacteristic at first glance for a show honouring the memory of the literary giant. On deeper reflection and as the mosaic of Friggieri started forming, the significance of the fierce sounds of the composer became clearer.

The performance was choreographed by The MVMT’s own Cheryl Lofreda. Photo: Neil Grech

The soul of the show was the performance of Claire Tonna and Jamie Cardona. Tonna’s naturally rhythmic voice, piercing and unbridled, brought the words to life. She took the ink from the book and made the audience feel its meaning. Cardona, on the other hand, added a more subdued flavour to the performance which complemented the power of Tonna.

Friggieri lives in the minds of most as a distant figure we were made to learn about at school. In truth, he was more of a moral bookkeeper of the nation.

From the memory of losing a child, commentary on faith, the environment and nation, it becomes clear how one man managed to enter and expose the psyche of a people, defining its inner workings, flaws and all, with a non-belligerent authority, capturing the experience of a nation past and, sadly, present.

Leaving the theatre, I felt like I had spent the hour with the village elder, quietly soaking up his wisdom. In a time of change and imbalance, everyone could use a bit more O.