A crime that shook Malta to its core has been called to the stage in a new production by
Herman Grech. They Blew Her Up is the first play written to address the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and the fallout from her assassination.
Lara Zammit and
Joseph Agius reflect on the play and its ramifications.
Hatred is perhaps not an instinctive and immediate emotion. Hatred simmers and occasionally takes decades to reach its boiling point, resulting possibly in the blowing up of a car and its occupant…
In Herman Grech’s theatrical production They Blew Her Up, the history and possible origin of Maltese political and social hatred is explored. One could point fingers at an irascible political leader whose words fomented the resentment towards certain strata of Maltese society; other fingers could be pointed at an intransigent Church and an opposition that piggybacked on the favourable circumstances.
Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination, subsequent probe and political drama are the basis of the play They Blew Her Up, which opened yesterday at Spazju
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The first play focusing on Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder is expected to challenge audiences to think outside their Facebook bubble and move away from the “tribal madness” that has seized Malta.
They Blew Her Up is not intended to sway the case in any way; nor does it attempt to shed light on who really blew her up. But the script, penned and directed by Herman Grech, “strikes right at the core of Maltese society – politics, corruption, nepotism and a crime that will forever haunt us”.
In a country where “tribalism is fed by misleading reports and outrageous Facebook posts”, Grech is aware he opted for the most complicated project – not least because the story is still being played out on the country’s stage and justice has not yet been served.