Maltese Scriptwriter Distances Herself From Abortion Play She Originally Wrote And Calls Out Ultrasound Posters
A Maltese scriptwriter has disassociated herself from an upcoming play about abortion she had originally written and has spoken out about issues she found with the production and promotion of the play.
Marta Vella is listed as the sole author of Iġri Neħles, an upcoming play at the Manoel Theatre that is described as “an emotional and controversial drama about abortion”.
It would be her second abortion-related play this year, following Blanket Ban, a play she co-wrote about Malta’s restrictive abortion laws that was played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
However, in a long Facebook post, she detailed the long and turbulent background behind the production of Iġri Neħles.
Vella said that in 2018 director Mario Philip Azzopardi commissioned her to write a play for his theatre company Staġun Teatru Malti.
After submitting the final draft of the script, Azzopardi asked Vella for her opinion on casting, and in August 2019, she emailed him to say that an “experienced female director is the way to go for this one…a male voice for such a female centric play would be counterproductive”.
Vella said that her mother Josette Ciappara was given the job as director and rehearsals kicked off at the start of 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic hindered plans for a March opening.
“A few months later, in the middle of lockdown, I ended up in the midst of a saga which involved chasing payments for the cast for their rehearsals,” Vella recounted.
“This culminated in me being sent a cease and desist from the producer telling me to stay away from the production. Coincidentally, around that time my mother was informed that her services weren’t needed anymore and she was let go as director.”
“After over 18 months of no communication, in June this year, the producer randomly messaged to inform me that November dates for the show have been secured. He asked if I wanted to direct it and I declined for obvious reasons.”
Marta Vella (left) and Davinia Hamilton take part in Blanket Ban (Photo: Blanket Ban)
“I found out who the new director [Jameson Cucciardi] is from social media. I absolutely have nothing against the said individual yet neither is he female nor an experienced theatre director. I have been left absolutely in the dark about the new cast or the vision of the play.”
Vella described the poster used by Staġun Teatru Malti to promote the play as “nothing short of embarrassing”, in terms of imagery, design and spelling mistakes.
“I cannot believe the national theatre has allowed homemade designs plagued with spelling mistakes and a million sins of graphic design go public,” she said.
“Furthermore, the poster shows ultrasound images which are not only misleading but also used by the anti-choice lobby to push their rhetoric. I condemn this and am completely against this false narrative that keeps on being perpetuated.”
“The last time I set my eyes on the script I wrote was in February 2020. The world has changed a lot in the last two and a half years.”
“Without the shadow of a doubt the script needs to go through extensive changes and revisions to reflect the current climate.”
“I have no idea what will be put on the Manoel stage. The work does not represent me and for that reason there is no way that I can risk my artistic integrity being put on the line by being associated with the show.”
“I genuinely wish no ill will to the cast and creative team who I’m sure are giving their best for this performance. However, for the reasons mentioned above I completely disassociate myself from this November’s run of Iġri Neħles.”
Cover photo: Left: The Manoel Theatre in Valletta (Photo: Teatru Manoel), Right: Scriptwriter Marta Vella (Photo: Marta Vella – Twitter), Inset photo: The promo poster of Iġri Neħles
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