Sisyphean Quick Fix: Previews in Malta Before International Debut in Edinburgh
Writer and performer Bettina Paris makes her writing debut with her new full-length play Sisyphean Quick Fix, a poignant, funny, and moving comedy-drama that deals with the complex realities of addiction, its impact on families, and the pull of responsibility for migrants.
The narrative follows two sisters – Krista in London, and Pip in Malta – as they begin to realise the severity of their father’s drinking habits. As the pressures of caring for a person struggling with a substance abuse problem puts a strain on their lives, it tests their close relationship with each other and the people around them.
With four years in development, the play has received developmental support from top new writing hubs in London including Theatre503 and the Omnibus Theatre. Paris said, “Sisyphean Quick Fix came from a want to give a voice to the multiple casualties of the disease by putting those living with a person struggling with addiction at the centre of the story, whilst sharing a message of hope for the future, especially for those in similar situations, in the sisters’ united compassion.”
Paris mentions how “it is an engrained part of our culture to drink. It is part of the island life for us to have a drink with every meal,” which she believes has, unconsciously, made a lot of people feel isolated and ashamed, making it increasingly difficult to access the resources they need.
Because of this, the play’s run will also see a collaboration with local charity Agenzija Sedqa, Malta’s primary agency that works to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, as well as care for the users and their families. Following each performance, a Q&A will be held with a representative from Agenzija Sedqa and Paris, to raise awareness on the topic the play tackles and to shed light on the resources available locally to help families struggling with similar issues.
Featuring performances from seasoned actors Bettina Paris & Tina Rizzo, Sisyphean Quick Fix is directed by Nicky Allpress, who received rave reviews in the UK’s national press for her recent work on Neil Labute’s The Shape of Things at the Park Theatre in London, and co-produced by Vikesh Godwhani, who recently directed the sell-out hit Mid-Djarju Ta’ Student Fi Skola tal-Knisja.
The production includes sound design by Matteo Depares, set design by Matthew Cassar, and light design by Chris Gatt.
Sisyphean Quick Fix will have its run on Maltese shores at Theatre Next Door, before making its international debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, at the Pleasance this August. From the beginning, Paris was writing with the intention “to share a Maltese story with a foreign audience.”
As a result, the play is primarily written in English, but in-keeping within the Maltese landscape, including Maltese inflections and intonations, references to specific locations, and events that happen in bars. Paris aims to capture “the world we know [and] live in”, as well as elements of London, into the world of Sisyphean Quick Fix.
Paris mentions the subject of family as “the most universal subject that the play deals with”, highlighting the complex relationships within families and how “there’s a certain kind of honesty that comes with communicating with a parent or sibling.”
Due to the nature of the themes explored in the play, Paris has made a stylistic choice to use humour as a tool to tackle extreme situations. She explains, “grief is a funny thing, it’s multi-faceted and complex and messy and sometimes very silly. In turbulent times and in grief, there’s time to cry, time to reflect, time to act on impulse, and time to laugh.”
“There’s a kind of savagery that comes through that sometimes brings about humour within the situation that the family finds themselves in. Humour comes through in the savage nature of the dialogue.”
Expanding on the dynamic of sibling relationships, Paris asks how we can push the rules of communication within the dynamic between sisters, adding that very often the lines get blurred.
“You have that kind of foundation of a relationship playing with the bounds and limitations of these conversations, and the sensitivity that comes when approaching certain family members with certain subjects. This tends to create interesting conversations where, within the play setting, both conflict and humour come up. In extreme situations, although harrowing, sad, and poignant, they’re also funny because when people are pushed to their limits, they can do ridiculous things.”
Actor Tina Rizzo comments on the importance of creating awareness by “sharing it through personal stories that people can relate to” and the significance of “the art of storytelling, and moving people through laughter, grief, and sharing these heartfelt stories.”
Rizzo highlights that there are a number of intricate underlying themes that emerge as a consequence of the main subjects. “From an acting perspective, it’s nice to uncover and discuss [these themes] and bring them to light.”
Director Nicky Allpress comments on the first time Paris reached out to her, and expresses how she was “really touched that [Paris] trusted me to go on the journey with her to tell this story because it’s such an important story that no one talks about.” As it is her first time working in Malta, Allpress recognised the level of “intimacy of the Maltese creative scene which means that people like Bettina have a wonderful set of artists around her who are willing to help out.”
Allpress noted the big difference for Paris between performing Sisyphean Quick Fix in Malta and Edinburgh. “Everyone knows Bettina here, so it’s quite sensitive, and I think she’s been so brave to tell her own story in her homeland, where there are going to be very few people seeing it who don’t know that it’s autobiographical. When we go to Edinburgh Festival, it will be a much more anonymous piece, which in some ways is safe. In other ways, it loses a bit of the care from the community here.”
“I hope people will want to come and see it because it is a rare thing to tell a story so potent and potentially sad but make it so fun with all the banter you get from siblings along the way.
Sisyphean Quick Fix will be staged at Theatre Next Door on June 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. All ticket sales will contribute to the play’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe run. For more information, and to book your tickets, visit www.tnd.com.mt. This project is supported by the Keep it Fringe fund.
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