Kaxxa Infernali: Explosions

Maltese fishermen (and firework-makers) have, in the past, fished unexploded bombs from the islet of Filfla [1], which was used as target practice for rockets, missiles and torpedoes during the British Rule (1800-1974).

“Kaxxa Infernali : Explosions” is a 50 minutes solo piece.  It unfolds a ‘sound’ landscape made out of voices, sounds, noise and histories (personal and national) connected to different types of explosions – military, ritualistic, artistic, criminal – from fireworks to bombs, on the Island of Malta.

Silence has come to play an important role in this creation.

Looking inside the making fireworks and having the opportunity to look inside the community of those (men) who make them, revealed yet another reality to me. Asking the actual firework makers to help me in creating these props to be used in theatre rather than a prop maker was very special indeed.  For this to happen I had to get closer to these usually very isolated and closed communities of men who silently, diligently, delicately spend the whole year labouring and dedicating all their hours (outside of their jobs) to create this mega spectacle for their community.

CONCEPT AND CREATION Jimmy Grima  WRITTEN BY Jimmy Grima and Joachim Robbrecht DRAMATURG Maria Rößler SOUND DESIGN Mario Sammut SET DESIGN Adrian Mamo TECHNICAL ADVISOR Godfrey Farrugia RESEARCH ASSISTANT  Sean Decelis TRANSCRIPTIONS AND TRANSLATIONS Julia Camilleri CONVERSATION PARTNER Mark Anthony Falzon, Florian Malzacher PRODUCTION MANAGER Stephanie Bonnici

This project is a co-production with Spazju Kreattiv and the rubberbodies collective by Jimmy Grima Collage 

8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th Spazju Kreattive Valletta, Malta