Maltese identity in 20th century theatre

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the way Maltese identity is reflected through theatre in Malta during the 20th century. An attempt has been made to describe how the Maltese nation emerged with particular reference to territory, culture, economy and laws. The Maltese nation analysis serves as the basis for the following chapters dealing with theatrical aspects. The chapters regarding theatre in Malta are divided mainly into literary and popular theatre. In both cases discussions are primarily targeted at works originally written in Maltese for theatrical purposes. The observations made in relation to literary Maltese theatre take into account works which are very popular in Maltese literature and which have already been studied by a number of researchers. The purpose of this research is to look at the drama genre from a different perspective seeking to discover whether Maltese literary drama reflect drama identity. The study of Maltese popular theatre includes observations regarding drama produced by radio and television mediums, and also criticism regarding the teatrini. The chapter dealing with Maltese popular theatre tries to identify references associated with the Maltese nation.