Carnival as a theatrical event

Abstract

In Malta, theatre is not one of the most popular forms of entertainment. The present state of research on theatre history in Malta indicates that the tradition of theatre was imported by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem who ruled the island from 1530 to 1798. Theatre only became a popular expression around the mid-nineteenth century when Malta, under British rule, was influenced by the arrival of the Italian Risorgimentisti living as exiles on the island, who brought with them romantic ideas of culture and nationalism. Following in their wake, theatre in the Maltese language started to develop. Although Malta does not have a long-standing tradition of theatre, it has a strong tradition of events bearing theatrical characteristics. Various expressions of these kinds of events play a predominant role in Maltese culture, and up to the present day they are linked to different forms of collective celebration, particularly Carnival and the different parish feasts. Carnival as a cultural entity existed in the Maltese islands before the coming of the Knights and its popularity can also be attested by the fact that the word Carnevale was a common name or nickname which was included in the militia lists of 1419-20 (Fiorini 1987:312). Understanding Carnival in Malta, therefore, is a way to approach another of the multiple facets of the theatrical event through the bias of festive celebration. [Excerpt]