Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government José Herrera together with the Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rosianne Cutajar launched Teatru Malta’s project ‘ Alice in a Wonderless Land’.
This concept consists of a new kind of theatre performance for this year’s ŻiguŻajg edition. The work is based on the 1976 feminist monologue, Alice nel paese senza Meraviglie by Franca Rame and Dario Fo, which was itself inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It will be available to schools exclusively and they can opt for either the Maltese or English version.
Minister Herrera praised this innovative initiative whereby through this project, culture is being used as a platform to remove certain labels and to raise more awareness on certain minorities and specific issues including women’s rights.
“Through this project we are sending a very strong message against domestic violence. I believe that art and culture are necessary tools in order to continue to deliver these kinds of social messages,” stated Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar.
“This project is not only about domestic violence, it focuses on the environment of the objectification of women in society. It is a piece of theatre, that tells a story which was created by Franca Rame and Dario Fo,” said Teatru Malta artistic director Sean Buhagiar.
It was explained that Teatru Malta has come up with the original idea of a show that can be put up in schools by the students themselves, following a set of instructions. All the time while observing social distancing rules. Other material included in the limited edition box that will be sent to the participating schools are an actual physical doll of Alice, instruction cards, and a USB data stick, among others. In creating such a piece, Teatru Malta are responding to the current situation and living up to their ongoing commitment of creating theatre work during the pandemic.
The piece itself subverts Carroll’s classic tale, and takes a radical look at Alice’s experiences and mishaps while discovering herself as a female in a world dominated by males. By using a sinister twist on a well known story, Alice in Wonderless Land puts into sharp focus the themes of gender inequality and the higher rates of domestic violence in the time of Covid-19.
Supported by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, and the Ministry for Justice, Equality and Governance, Alice in Wonderless Land is a co-production with ŻiguŻajg and part of their festival line-up. A set of public performances, observing social distancing rules, both in Maltese and English will take space at Spazju Kreattiv, Studio A. Performances in Maltese: Saturday 5 December 2020, 10am; Sunday 6 December 2020, 10am. Performance in English: Saturday 5 December 2020, 12pm; Sunday 6 December 2020, 12pm. For more information on Alice in Wonderless Land please visit teatrumalta.org.mt
