Theatre
L-Interrogazzjoni
Għargħur villa

I was not quite sure what to expect when venturing out to a venue I knew nothing about, armed with just a pin on Google Maps and a vague idea of the general area. This was a first – integrating the obscurity of a place with the obfuscating and deliberately ambiguous nature of a twisted murder plot.

Retold in retrospect, Alfred Buttigieg’s excellent two-hander L-Interrogazzjoni is yet another notch in this playwright’s belt. His plotting is complex, the scripting sharp, lean and arresting – it was a highly successful exercise in creating a well- structured, fresh take on  the whodunnit.

Buttigieg’s engaging play was produced by Teatru Malta and directed by the talented Lee-N Abela, whose admirable directorial skills led to a well-crafted, intriguing and highly watchable dramatic performance.

While Buttigieg may have written the piece some time ago, it is as fresh and topical now as it will ever be

Featuring Angele Galea as Stephanie and Clare Agius as Martina, two lovers caught in a complex toxic relationship, where loyalty and sexual chemistry keep them bound together, the entire plot revolves around them taking part in a disturbing role-playing game.

This dangerous game combines their sexual attraction  with Martina’s need to work through the events leading up to her ex-husband’s murder – in which she herself was implicated. Stephanie chooses  to go along with the charade  in a desperate attempt at  making sense of Martina’s motivations and finding out what really happened.

Galea gave a great performance as Stephanie, a tortured young woman in love but in doubt – she feels her loyalty is tested because she cannot quite trust her  partner’s actions. In an equally excellent portrayal of the devious and spoilt Martina, Agius managed to delve into the nuances of a dangerous mind – as manipulative as it is egocentric.

Angele Galea plays a tortured young woman in love but in doubt.

The dangerous game they play involves a fictitious interrogation based on Martina’s recollections of her real interrogations by the police following her husband’s violent murder.

By rewriting past narratives in search of the truth – a truth which suits one woman but not the other ‒ the interrogation functions as a final means of uncovering the distasteful  truth on Stephanie’s part  and a playful form of foreplay for Martina.

 It is clearly a battle of wits and role reversals, where Stephanie’s desire for a genuine, tender and loving relationship is countered by the self- serving sexual motivations on Martina’s part.

Agius and Galea had energy and just the right dynamic to make this piece highly effective and gripping. This was in no small part thanks to director Abela’s choices on blocking  that was so precise it felt nearly choreographed; as well as her sensitively chosen light sources.

The decision to stage the piece in a real living room, with the audience sitting in someone’s house, on their randomly  played seating, not only added intimacy to the performance but also made one painfully aware that they were both observants and intruders.

On a different level, the theme explored in this strong piece focused on the local propensity for nepotism, bribery, omertà, and corruption – all of which have been exposed a lot more  blatantly over the past months. While Buttigieg may have written the piece some time ago, it is as fresh and topical now as it will ever be.

It is undeniable that L-Interrogazzjoni is a play that resonates with its audience on multiple  levels and the impeccable execution of the two leads is a pleasure to watch in itself.

An excellent production that should be given a much longer run and definitely not one to miss.

L-Interrogazzjoni is being staged again in Għargħur today and tomorrow at 5 and 8pm and on Wednesday at 8pm. Tickets are sold out.