Nearly a decade after being banned from Maltese stages, the play Stitching will finally be staged thanks to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. 

The ECHR overturned the Maltese courts’ 2010 ban this morning in a unanimous decision that also included Maltese judge Vincent de Gaetano. The production company behind Stitching, Unifaun Theatre Productions Limited, was also awarded €10,000 as legal costs, along with €10,000 in moral damages among the company, director Chris Gatt, and actors Pia Zammit and Mikhail Basmadjian.

Stitching, which was meant to debut in February 2009, had involved swear words in its script, and the Maltese court had back then ruled that it was unacceptable for swearing to be allowed in public… even as part of a play.

The good news of the ban reversal was shared earlier this morning, with friends and associates of Unifaun celebrating the long-awaited decision. “When justice prevails, even after all these years, I can tell you it feels pretty fucking awesome,” Michael Zammit Maempel, the lawyer who represented the producers, said on Facebook.

“Justice has prevailed,” producer Adrian Buckle said, announcing the play would go ahead and be staged in Malta. 

Stitching, written by Anthony Neilson, was initially planned to be staged at Valletta’s St. James Cavalier (now known as Spazju Kreattiv) on the 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th, 21st and 22nd of February, 2009.

In 2010, however, the production had been banned by the Maltese court, after it was flagged by the Film and Stage Classification board. The board has since then become defunct.

In a statement issued to the Times of Malta, director Chris Gatt saw the bigger picture in this latest ruling, saying it confirms the need to protect freedom of expression, especially in the context of Malta’s artistic output.

“It also frames the discussion within a European context, something which was denied during court proceedings in Malta,” Gatt said. “More importantly, however, is that it highlights the need for better training of our judges and magistrates who, it seems, are working without the necessary tools to make the correct decisions.”

Censorship laws have recently been amended by the current Government, making it virtually impossible for theatrical productions to be banned.

Tag someone who’ll be happy to hear the news!

READ NEXT: These Experienced European Journalists Have A Poignant Warning On Freedom Of Speech For Malta

David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).