'Theatre shouldn't limit itself to a small clique' - Owen Bonnici

"Many veteran playwrights weren't happy with the establishment of the Francis Ebejer Prize," Arts Council chairman Albert Marshall said during a press conference at the Manoel Theatre this morning. "A lot of them felt that they should have been the ones to write prominent Maltese-language plays, and that younger ones shouldn't be given a chance. But let's see what the new crop of playwrights brings on board..."

Marshall was speaking during the launch of the Premju Francis Ebejer, a bi-annual competitive prize given out to up-and-coming Maltese playwrights. Marshall said that the prize was initially set up to address a deficit of quality drama within the local theatrical sphere. 

The conference in fact also inaugurated a production by a former Francis Ebejer Prize winner, the young playwright Leanne Ellul - author of Ma Rridx Immur, a rubberbodies collective production to be staged at the Manoel tomorrow and Saturday. 

Marshall also said that while some people may consider the Arts Council to be a "monster", the recent restructuring within the Council aimed to dismantle the "monster of fragmentation" by collating its various responsibilities and activities under a more unified remit. 

Culture and Justice Minister Owen Bonnici welcomed the continuing efforts of the Francis Ebejer Prize in fostering new, and quality, writing in Maltese. 

"Some people might ask: why all this fuss about having good writing in Maltese theatres? Why is it such a priority for us? Well, the fact remains that places like the Manoel Theatre - our national theatre - are best served with Maltese-language productions. That's what the people want to see, and I don't believe that theatre should be limited to the same clique of people, but that we should draw in crowds from all walks of life."