Spazju Kreattiv takes a look at the events which rocked a nation and drew international unwarranted attention to the place we call home

The events that occurred over the past few years have revealed many of the much less pleasant features of Maltese society. These less than savoury traits are often ignored or, at best, kept secret... but the shocking murder of a journalist brought them to light and held them up for scrutiny.

Spazju Kreattiv’s latest production, They Blew Her Up is a fictionalised dramatisation of the events that followed the brutal car-bombing of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Written and directed by Herman Grech, the treatment that this topic was given could not have been in more knowledgeable hands, since Grech himself was very actively involved in the development of the case from a journalistic standpoint.

What struck me about the styling and presentation of this production was that it was delivered as a series of dramatic monologues, with some dialogue between couples towards the last half hour of this 90-minute piece. As a critic I miss being in the theatre but in these surreal times, I opted to view the production online from home.

I was impressed by Matthew Muscat Drago’s filming, which was incredibly professional and well-directed, interspersed with video montages of news footage by Joe Paolella. This footage is what worked well to anchor the narrative into a more solid, more grounded and more realistic setting.

The set was a starkly effective choice by Adrian Mamo – the burnt-out carcass of a mangled car served as a permanent reminder of the fatal consequences of that day. Of course, the lighting design provided by the skilful Chris Gatt helped shape the intense focus and scrutiny that each sector involved is under.

A social commentary on the way Maltese society operates

Grech chose to create a collection of characters which functioned as representatives of whole entities or groups of people who were involved in the events. Their voice was a collective voice of observation and experience.

Joe Azzopardi as the Son. Photo: Daryl Cauchi

Joe Azzopardi played the Son – what mattered were his personal reactions to the loss of a mother and his horror at the fact that our country has become a place where this was possible.

Kim Dalli played the Journalist – her role was a balanced and insightful one, shifting from the cynical to the involved. She also represented the image of the female journalist, forever reminding that she and Daphne have one thing in common – they were considered to be “nosey women” in a misogynistic society.

Though occasionally unclear in her delivery, as an Informer, Charlotte Grech was impassive and calculating, ready to pass on any details she could to the press to keep the investigation going, but adamant to get the Journalist to act on her terms.

Alan Paris embodied the villains of the piece – the Suspect/s, who also gave their version of events and revealed much about the way in which shady dealings are handled.  Jes Camilleri’s Police Investigator painted the portrait of a family man caught in a position of high pressure and under constant public scrutiny.

The cast was a very strong one and well-chosen by Grech – holding various opinions and experiences up for scrutiny.

What I found that this production did was not so much comment about a case that is still active and must consequently be dealt with as sensitively as possible; but rather present the audience with a dramatisation of already known and documented public facts, while using the subject matter as a social commentary on the way Maltese society operates.

It may have taken the murder of a prominent journalist to reveal it but these sentiments have long been there. We are, as a society, not as welcoming and pleasant as we first appear to be. There are tensions and traits that we often sweep under the carpet, which are nothing to be proud of. And this is where the production worked.

Without detracting from the significance of the tragedy that unfolded, and while keeping a respectful and unbiased stance throughout, They Blew Her Up served as an apt indictment of the festering ills of a society in denial. There is much work to be done to make sure that we come out of this as a better, improved nation for the good of the generations yet to come.

They Blew Her Up is being staged at Spazju Kreattiv tomorrow and Friday at 8pm, on Saturday at 5 and 8pm and on Sunday at 7pm. In-theatre tickets are sold out. On-demand performances are available until Sunday. Log on to https://watch.eventive.org/kreattivita/play/60196d9a60b3f00077f26472.