As theatres look ahead to reopening, one play in Maltese is unable to postpone the premiere of their performance any longer – offering a show that will be exclusively available online while tackling the societal stigma of HIV in Malta.

Il-Pożittivi is a new play written by Simon Bartolo and directed by Toni Attard. It is Malta’s first contemporary play that tackles the stigma that people who live with HIV experience in Malta.

It will also star theatre favourites Josette Ciappara, Ray Calleja, Clare Agius, Stephen Mintoff, Benjamin Abela as well as Danish actor and HIV activist Chris Vincent.

The play is inspired by true stories shared by participants in anonymous interviews. Through their performance, it seeks to shed light on six characters whose lives have all been affected by HIV in one way or another.

In doing so, the story weaves together real-life situations with a fictitious story, typical of Bartolo’s style which layers comedy with serious drama.

“Few people living with HIV in Malta have publicly disclosed their status or speak about the subject, underlining their fear of being alienated or discriminated against for having the condition”, explained director and producer Toni Attard.

“The theatre project included the participation of people living with HIV in Malta and is acting as an artistic platform to demystify HIV and the stigmatisation impacting their lives.”