Devised during lockdown by writer-performer Anton Saliba and director Chris Galea, the upcoming Teatru Salesjan production Żepp explores the varied pains of isolation, and how ‘the system’ can be an enemy both within and without.

From a routine offering to a treat. For better or for worse, this has been the trajectory of live theatrical performances over the last couple of years as the pandemic ravaged the rhythms of the cultural sector worldwide. But though one is wary not to tempt fate by sounding too loud – or too early – a celebratory note, recent restriction relaxation has enabled some shows to thankfully go forward.

One of these is Żepp – commissioned by Teatru Salesjan to be staged at the Valletta Campus Theatre on October 15, 16 and 17. A collaboratively devised monologue by Anton Saliba (writer and performer) and Chris Galea (director), the piece does not appear interested in coddling the audience away from the negative social repercussions exacerbated by the pandemic. Instead of escapism, it will offer recognition, and, hopefully, a form of catharsis.

Initially approached by Rosetta Debattista of Teatru Salesjan with a brief to write a monologue in Maltese, Saliba quickly gained a collaborator in Galea.

“We’ve been working together on a series of drafts since January, holding Zoom meetings and slowly forming the script until we jumped into rehearsals around a month ago,” Saliba explains, before digging a bit deeper.

“The original concept was to look at a life in isolation. But rather than a physical sense of isolation, where someone is completely cut off from people, I wanted to look into a different kind of isolation. Where the person still drudges through their daily life but feels cut off from the mentality and morals (or lack of therein) of the society they live in,” he adds.

For Galea, the process of devising the script and his directorial approach led the experienced theatre practitioner and researcher to dust off the old Antonin Artaud books from off the shelf, and apply some of the theories of the influential French dramatist to the task at hand, particularly when it comes to “how our definition of weakness shapes our stories”.

“While the focus of the piece has nothing to do with COVID, the pandemic did bring Artaud’s focus on thoughts on ‘the plague’ closer to home. I found Żepp’s script to be amenable to what Artaud defines as ‘the spiritual physiognomy of a disease’, which leads to a ‘delirium’ but also one that is ‘communicative’. That dichotomy is always one that intrigues me – implying a connection that perhaps transcends language,” Galea says.

Żepp is essentially a character who feels cut off from the rest of the world and utterly disconnected from all that surrounds him- Chris Galea

But a deep-dive into theory – albeit a relevant and laser-focused one – does not eschew an otherwise “uber-practical” approach towards bringing the concepts that underlie Żepp to life, before prepping it for the stage.  Predictably enough in the current circumstances – but even more so given that Saliba was based in the UK for a large part of the process – the duo’s brainstorming sessions took place over Zoom, in what they both described as an ultimately “harmonious” process defined (and strengthened) by a collaborative approach that allowed for plenty of experimentation.

“I’d say it’s worked really well so far, although I do find Chris’s somewhat liberal views on the use of hand sanitiser quite disturbing…”

But theorising (and joking) apart... who is Żepp, really? I suppose going to watch the show is the one guaranteed way of discovering the answer to that question in earnest. But his creators were also kind enough to throw some clues our way.

 “I’d say that Żepp is your average guy. His character informs us on what he says, as much as what he says informed us on who he is,” Saliba says, cryptically enough. Galea, on the other hand, is somewhat more forthcoming. 

“Żepp is essentially a character who feels cut off from the rest of the world and utterly disconnected from all that surrounds him. [The piece] explores the character’s apathetic sense of hopelessness through a system that seems determined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

“Yet we always ascribe the word ‘system’, to that which is external to us. Żepp problematises that question in a way: the internal system, the character’s psyche that exists in a symbiotic relationship to all that is external to it. It’s a chicken and egg kind of thing, really.”

 Żepp will be staged at the Valletta Campus Theatre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7.30pm. A valid COVID vaccination certificate is required for entry. Tickets available online. Żepp is supported by Arts Council Malta via the Malta Arts Fund and the Project Support Scheme 2020