Troubled waters : the representation of refugees in Maltese theatre

Abstract

Despite encountering the phenomenon of migration on a daily basis, the issue is not frequently highlighted through performance in Malta. For various reasons that will be discussed, migrants are virtually absent from cultural life in Malta, and thus no migrant or post-migrant theatre exists. Although migration has been a major political issue for decades, very few theatre works have contributed to the conversation. This chapter will try to explain why theatre-makers generally steer away from the topic, before discussing two performances through which I hope to shed light on the (in)visibility of the migrant in Maltese theatre. The examples chosen are a street performance by poet/activist Antoine Cassar, related to his long poem entitled Passaport (Passport), and a large-scale opera entitled Aħna Refuġjati (We Are Refugees), directed by Mario Philip Azzopardi who also wrote the libretto, financed by the state as part of the 2018 European Capital of Culture programme.