This year is, but should have been more of, a celebratory year for the theatre troupe Dwal Ġodda, based in Għargħur, marking 50 years of continuous theatre devising and making. 

In fact, the members of the troupe had envisaged a very different March Good Friday production for 2020.

For the last 45 years, Dwal Ġodda has merged a different open-air theatrical production with the traditional procession taking place on Palm Sunday. 

For their celebratory event planned for November 2020, they dreamt of a theatrical production involving popular characters from past productions which could project the group’s dreams for the future. 

This was to be blended with a documentary, 50 years in 50 minutes, highlighting the ‘family’ aspect of the group over the years. The documentary just needs the final touches.

For the last 45 years, Dwal Ġodda has merged a different open-air theatrical production with the traditional procession taking place on Palm Sunday

Dwal Ġodda is not a theatre group that rests on their laurels.  Proud of its achievements over the years, from the humble beginnings of some farsa or buzzett, the group has tackled texts by Diacono, Friggieri, Ebejer and Pirandello, Miller, Ayckbourn, Simon and De Filippo.

A staging of Mislub in 1985.

Their canon texts have stimulated the group members to devise different genres of texts themselves, which encourage their audiences to glance at life’s meandering so as to analyse past joys and sorrows, today’s incongruities and to dream about a possible better tomorrow.

COVID-19 may have temporarily halted the group’s public productions; but this has not been a barrier for keeping alive the friendship between the members and some of their audience-friends with whom they maintain virtual contact.

Dwal Ġodda members are sure that this friendship and their schemes will be shared on a wider scale in the near future.

Theatre merges the elements of play and hard work. Just as theatre is a safe place to encounter life’s conflicts and uncertainties to the point that one can smile at life’s incongruities, Dwal Ġodda members are convinced that the dynamics of theatricality will again engage them with their audiences in stimulating ways and means, some hopefully still to be discovered. 

For more information, log on to dwalgoddatheatre@gmail.com or visit their facebook page www.facebook.com/dwalgoddatheatre/. Dwal Ġodda can also be reached on 9928 8288 or 7909 2624. Promo for 50 years in 50 minutes documentary is found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxLrQCfsE0Q.