Theatre in Malta [The world encyclopedia of contemporary theatre]

Abstract

The Maltese Archipelago is in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Sicily and 360 kilometres (220 miles) north of Libya. It is made up of a series of tiny islands, the two inhabited ones being Malta (28.2 kilometres by 13.4 kilometres) and Gozo (14.5 kilometres by 7.2 kilometres). Their combined 1992 population was 362,000; their land area is 316 square kilometres (122 square miles). The strategic position of the Maltese islands has always attracted foreign powers; in fact, their history is one of domination. The islands passed from the Phoenicians to the Carthaginians, then to the Romans, Arabs, Normans, Angevins and Aragonese. In 1530 they were given to the Order of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, who ruled up to 1798 when the islands were taken over by Napoleon. Two years later, the Maltese rose against the French, calling for British assistance. Malta and Gozo remained a British colony up to 1964 when the islands acquired independence. The country became a republic in 1974. When the British assumed power in 1800, the islands bore predominantly Italian influence in all fields of culture and education. The Italian language was taught in schools, spoken by the educated classes, used in the law courts and church curia, as well as in the administrative and journalistic fields. The Maltese language, of semitic origin, was spoken by all the inhabitants but, except in rare cases, remained unwritten. The British disapproved of this cultural situation, apprehensive lest Italian nationalistic ideas spark off Maltese fervour. Around 1880, a policy to oust the Italian language, replacing it with English, was embarked upon. Progressively, the Maltese grew more aware of the cultural importance of having a language of their own. In 1934, English and Maltese became joint official languages. The struggle for one language to emerge as dominant, later known as the Language Question, eventually resulted in the affirmation of a national identity. The issue gathered momentum during the nineteenth century, unleashing itself in the 1920s. It was not resolved until after World War II, leaving a marked impact on Maltese theatrical reality. In fact, when dealing with Maltese theatre it is important to distinguish between 'theatre in Malta' as perhaps the culmination of European colonial culture, and 'Maltese theatre' or 'theatre in Maltese', which marks the recognition of an autonomous culture. For many centuries efforts