Teatru Manoel’s new season brings opera, theatre, music, dance and family entertainment together in a programme that celebrates both Malta’s cultural heritage and its contemporary creative talent
Few theatres can claim to have been welcoming audiences for almost three centuries, and fewer still continue to reinvent themselves with the vitality of Teatru Manoel. Malta’s National Theatre, built in 1731 as a public theatre for the people of Malta, remains a place where history and contemporary creativity meet under one remarkable roof. Every performance takes place in a setting whose intimate Baroque architecture has become part of the experience itself, creating a unique connection between performers and audiences.
Yet the theatre’s greatest strength has never been its age alone. As Artistic Director Adrian Mamo explains, Teatru Manoel is defined by dialogue: between tradition and innovation, Maltese artists and international performers, classical masterpieces and contemporary voices. That philosophy is reflected throughout the new season, which offers audiences an exceptionally varied programme spanning opera, theatre, chamber music, jazz, dance and family entertainment.
Opera remains one of the theatre’s defining strengths, perfectly suited to the Manoel’s celebrated acoustics and intimate proportions. January sees Festivals Malta present Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto, one of the Baroque master’s greatest achievements, while March brings Gounod’s beloved Roméo et Juliette in collaboration with Malta National Opera. These productions promise audiences the rare opportunity to experience some of the world’s finest operatic repertoire in one of Europe’s oldest working theatres, where every voice resonates with exceptional warmth and clarity.
Music lovers will also find much to celebrate throughout the season.
The De Valette Chamber Orchestra led by Carmine Lauri returns with four concerts featuring musicians drawn from some of Europe’s leading orchestras, while a special evening dedicated to the legendary Maria Callas in June pays tribute to one of opera’s most celebrated voices. The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra brings a staggering 10 concerts to the national theatre this year with the theme Beethoven 200.
Contemporary Maltese theatre continues to occupy an important place in the programme. Among the highlights is a Maltese translation of Yasmina Reza’s masterpiece ART and Tad-Demm u l-Kartapesta by Andre Mangion, winner of the Studio Francis Ebejer Playwriting Competition. Albert Buttigieg’s dynamic two-hander L-Interrogazzjoni will be also staged in the Studio Theatre. Presenting new Maltese writing alongside internationally recognised repertoire reflects the theatre’s commitment to nurturing local talent while ensuring that today’s stories stand confidently beside the classics. It is a reminder that a national theatre should not simply preserve cultural heritage but actively help create it.
Drama lovers can also look forward to two landmark works of world literature: Dostoyevsky’s The Grand Inquisitor and Oscar Wilde’s Salome, the latter forming a fascinating companion piece to an evening performance of Richard Strauss’s acclaimed opera Salome.
This season also marks an exciting collaboration with Masquerade Theatre Company as we bring the cult-classic musical Little Shop of Horrors to the stage. Timed perfectly for the Halloween season, this darkly comic favourite promises unforgettable characters, catchy songs and wickedly entertaining surprises.
The festive season remains one of the busiest and most popular periods in the theatre’s calendar. Families can once again look forward to the much-loved Christmas pantomime, this year Peter Pan, presented by MADC, continuing a tradition that has delighted generations of audiences. The celebrations begin even earlier with Moveo Dance Company’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, opening the Christmas season in early December. Later in the year, audiences can also enjoy the Malta Spring Festival and the Malta International Arts Festival, both of which continue to strengthen the theatre’s reputation as one of the country’s leading cultural venues.
Beyond the performances themselves, Teatru Manoel continues to invest in the future of Maltese culture. Through TOI TOI, its Learning and Participation programme, the theatre offers performances and creative activities for children and young people, encouraging new generations not only to become audiences but also future performers, writers, designers and theatre-makers. As the theatre approaches its 300th anniversary, this investment in people is as important as preserving the historic building itself. In addition to its full programme of events for young audiences, TOI TOI is this year staging War of the Worlds in collaboration with Rhum+Clay (London) as well as its traditional Easter Show.
Ultimately, the new season reflects what has always made Teatru Manoel special – a programme that is ambitious, diverse and unmistakably alive. Whether attending grand opera, intimate chamber music, contemporary Maltese drama, jazz, dance or family entertainment, visitors are invited to become part of a story that has been unfolding for nearly three centuries—and which promises many more memorable chapters to come.
