Culture Minister Owen Bonnici will be meeting the Manoel Theatre and its artistic director Kenneth Zammit Tabona to establish whether he has actually been sacked.

“I have been speaking to people involved in the theatre, I had a meeting with MEIA [Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association] and I have other planned meetings including with Zammit Tabona and the Manoel Theatre,” Bonnici told Times of Malta.

His comments come amid a bizarre sequence of events which started in October, when the Manoel Theatre went ahead with plans to replace Zammit Tabona, issuing a call for a new artistic director.

However, the advert was withdrawn within hours.

At the time, the management said Zammit Tabona had not been sacked but would have been shifted over to Festivals Malta to take charge of the Baroque Festival.

Earlier this month, Zammit Tabona said he has been completely sidelined and not involved in the running of the national theatre in any way.

'Termination letter'

Meanwhile, Manoel Theatre CEO Massimo Zammit said a termination letter had been sent out to Zammit Tabona. However, the latter said he had not received any such correspondence.

Zammit Tabona, who took up the theatre role back in 2014, said his contract runs until April next year.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Bonnici, who assumed the culture portfolio after the general election, said he was committed to getting to the bottom of the matter.

When pressed to state if Zammit Tabona is still assuming the role of artistic director, Bonnici would not take a position and instead repeated he is talking to all sides.

“When the opportunity arises I will announce what will be happening at the Manoel Theatre for it to move forward,” the minister said.