Productions » Ir-Ritorn
‘Ir-Ritorn’ is a play in Maltese adapted from Homer’s Odyssey, aimed at an audience of 6 to 8 years. It was commissioned by Ziguzajg for its 2013 edition of the Children’s Festival.
‘Ir-Ritorn’ starts in a museum where the audience is awaiting ‘the actors’. When they don’t turn up, the employees of the museum – the receptionist, security guard, cleaner and maintenance man – are loath to disappoint the audience. Suddenly, a ‘lost soldier’ comes in, dragging a pile of cardboard. He is a Captain, who explains that he has been cursed to roam through aeons of time and the only way of breaking this spell is to find someone willing to help him tell the story. The museum employees – some happily, others more grudgingly – offer to help.
The Captain leads the players on a magical journey through the different tales of Ulysses’ adventures, starting from the victory over Troy, then sailing and rowing from isle to isle, meeting the Lotus eaters, evading the Cyclops, getting past the sirens, surviving the dangers of Scylla and Caribidis – all with the help of the props around the museum – scaffolding and plastic sheeting being used for refurbishing, rugs, paint pots, etc – and the cardboard pieces which the Captain brought. As the Captain bids farewell to Calypso and gets into his improvised raft, we wonder if he will manage to break out of the curse….
‘Ir-Ritorn’ was adapted and performed by Jes Camilleri, Charlotte Grech, Liliana Portelli, Paul Portelli and Pierre Stafrace. Original music composed and played live by Albert Garcia.
Review by Andre’ Delicata for Times of Malta:
