The first play focusing on Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder is expected to challenge audiences to think outside their Facebook bubble and move away from the “tribal madness” that has seized Malta.

They Blew Her Up is not intended to sway the case in any way; nor does it attempt to shed light on who really blew her up. But the script, penned and directed by Herman Grech, “strikes right at the core of Maltese society – politics, corruption, nepotism and a crime that will forever haunt us”.

In a country where “tribalism is fed by misleading reports and outrageous Facebook posts”, Grech is aware he opted for the most complicated project – not least because the story is still being played out on the country’s stage and justice has not yet been served.

But ultimately, it is a work of fiction, gleaned from interviews Times of Malta’s editor-in-chief carried out with a number of the protagonists, as well as from the gripping ongoing court case.

Grech has seen too many reports and heard too many podcasts that give a totally skewed interpretation of the state of affairs.

“I do not like that we let our emotions get in the way of facts. For example, I hate that some idiots keep peddling conspiracy theories that Daphne’s son was responsible for her murder…”

So, one of the targets of the script is for audiences to question their own preconceived notions when they leave the theatre – something he had also done with his 2018 play De-terminated, which tackled abortion.

In fact, over the last 15 years, Grech has never shied away from delicate and controversial subjects, dealing with topics like migration and terrorism.

With They Blew Her Up – as political as it gets – he not only continues to court controversy, but also pushes the envelope by tackling the 2017 assassination of the journalist that rocked the world.

Careful not to delve into issues that could be prejudicial to the case, he has inserted details that reflect what some key players were really facing at the time.

The idea to write the play came about on November 29, 2019, around 2am as Grech was waiting in the newsroom for the outcome of the infamous marathon cabinet meeting. It came at the end of a day characterised by shocking revelations by the minute to the backdrop of thousands of protestors as “politics was suddenly propelled into the arena of this heinous crime”.

In reality, the script was writing itself.

But being a journalist and an editor also gave Grech access to key sources, as well as the training to piece narratives together.  

While it is often impossible for an editor to get directly involved in a story, in the case of Caruana Galizia’s murder, Grech felt he had a duty to get his “hands dirty”.

“This story is too big. So yes, there is a lot of journalism in the script, and it does reveal some inside stories.”

Art has a duty to challenge the status quo and should never be prevented from interpreting real-life stories

In fact, the play also has an autobiographical element, featuring a journalist (Kim Dalli) and drawing on the first-hand experience of working for a news organisation during the saga.

Grech deliberately chose a former journalist to play the part because he felt she could express the enthusiasm and frustration – and even the self-doubt – of investigative reporters.

The other four characters include Caruana Galizia’s son, an 'informer', a police investigator and a murder suspect, whose identity is not entirely clear.

Grech interviewed Matthew Caruana Galizia (Joe Azzopardi) over a couple of nights in January 2020 and is pleased he accepted to recall the most difficult story he has been forced to tell.

The victim’s son had no say in the script, but his statements, most of which are quoted verbatim in the play, are painful, provocative and controversial, Grech said.

“The scene describing the bomb blast has been one of the most difficult I have had to direct in 25 years.”

Though he has run the script by lawyers, Grech is determined to fight back any attempt to censor art, describing the decision to stop Mario Philip Azzopardi’s satirical plays about Caruana Galizia as “ridiculous”.

“Art has a duty to challenge the status quo and should never be prevented from interpreting real-life stories.”

Aware of the limitations of the media, Grech believes a work of fiction can sometimes be more powerful and evocative than the real-life stories written daily.

“People are reading less and watching more, and what better way to present a story to a captive audience with no distractions… There are also stories to be told beyond the headlines, and theatre is a perfect medium to convey them.”

Grech was on a Skype call when a colleague texted him there was a vehicle in flames in Bidnija on October 16, 2017.

“I knew right away this would change Malta’s landscape for years to come…”

The play is being staged at a raw point in investigations. But Grech says “the case will remain raw, even once – hopefully – all the culprits are brought to justice”.

As to whether he envisages embarrassing key political figures, Grech believes “the case is embarrassing for Malta, so I would say the characters mentioned brought the embarrassment upon themselves”.

In reality, nobody is spared in the script – from politicians to police to the media.

COVID-19 has also added to the challenges, which included restricted rehearsal numbers and a dwindled audience in the intimate setting of Spazju Kreattiv.

Grech kept hoping everyone would be vaccinated by now but acknowledges that the restrictions have also opened doors to streaming the production, which is being professionally filmed.

They Blew Her Up, which also stars Charlotte Grech, Jes Camilleri and Alan Paris, is being staged from February 26 to March 14 at Spazju Kreattiv.