Davinia Hamiltion and Marta Vella in Blanket Ban. Photo: Ali Wright
We have plenty of divisive topics in Malta where everyone wants to put in their two cents’ worth – divorce was one of them. Then, there’s the next level of divisive, where the stigma of supporting the least popular camp is so great that the anti wave drowns the few, vocal supporters. Enter abortion.
Official figures released by Doctors for Choice place the number of women who had an abortion in 2023 at 490. Hardly negligable. Yet, in all these years Malta has only seen a few handful of protests and marches that are pro choice – and only two homegrown theatre productions. Considering the controversy the topic generates, you’d have thought it would be prime fodder for local scripts, but no.
Blanket Ban – written by Davinia Hamilton and Marta Vassallo (who also perform it) and directed by Vikesh Godhwani and Sam Edmunds – is the second theatre production to deal with the topic. It premiered in Malta this weekend at Spazju Kreattiv after a highly-successul (and multi-awarded) run in the UK and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Here are the details if you’re planning on watching.
Blanket Ban – dates & other information
| Play | Blanket Ban |
| My rating | ⭐⭐⭐🌟 (3.5/5) |
| Produced By | Chalkline Theatre |
| Dates | March 9, 14, 15, 16 |
| Time | Fridays & Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 7PM |
| Content warnings | Strong language, depictions of rape/suicide, flashing lights, graphic depictions of abuse, references to miscarriage and abortion |
| Venue | Spazju Kreattiv |
| Duration | 80 minutes, no interval |
| Ticket price | €25 |
| Booking | Official website |
| Language | English, with some Maltese |
| Accessibility | Full |
Table of Contents
Blanket Ban Narrative
Blanket Ban combines several styles of story-telling into one, very fast-moving script that shifts from nostalgic to serious, comedic and then back to poignant in quick succession. It is peppered with autobiographical elements, where Hamilton and Vella trade endearing, often hilarious, accounts of growing up in Malta.
This is the nostalgic part of the script, the one we can all relate to. We’ve got lazy days on the beach and church bells ringing at “ungodly hours”. And we have pastizzi , making a triumphant, high-energy entrance in what is one of the funniest highlights of the show.
The writers’ comedic voice is warm, authentic, rooted in real, lived experience, and the script shines in capturing the quirks of Maltese life with a natural wit. It is almost the female counterpart to that other great example of Maltese real-life comedy – Mid-Djarju ta’ Student fi Skola tal-Knisja – as we’re treated to relateable tales of a repressed teenagehood where even the mere word ‘sex’ was frowned upon.
The one exception to this is the sex education segment, which leans on over-the-top delivery more than it does on sharpness. But, judging by the screeching emanating from the audience, I suspect I’m the only one to think this.
Blanket Ban comes with a huge serving of anger. This is understandable from a personal perspective, but it doesn’t serve the script well. The fourth wall is broken with extended passages of shouting at the audience. This approach threatens to overshadow the nuance of the debate. Those who are pro-choice don’t need this judgement. Those who are anti, risk being even more alienated.
It’s a pity that the real-life, documentary-style interviews, and the anonymised experiences of other women that are superbly performed verbatim take up a lot less limelight than these heavily didactic moments. They are raw, poignant, and far more effective. Incidentally, the documentary format was used to excellent effect by De-Terminated- The Abortion Diaries, the only other homegrown play about abortion that saw the light in Malta.
Direction & Staging
Co-directors Vikesh Godhwani and Sam Edmunds wisely opt for simple staging that places the attention squarely on the two actors. This is a play that relies heavily on the chemistry between Hamilton and Vella, which is present in bucketsful. Godhwani and Edmunds give the performers enough space to fully explore these interactions, letting their connection and exchanges drive the play’s emotional core. The blocking is excellent, with Vella’s and Hamilton’s choreographed movements making good use of the limited space, turning the conversation between them into a dance that is informed as much by the body language as it is by words.
The pacing suffers somewhat throughout the monologues and the ‘historical’ segments focusing on the Santa Marija convoy and the shipwreck of St Paul. And the recorded audio is unclear at times, making it difficult to appreciate the full import of what is being said. This is particularly so during Marion Mifsud Mora’s segments – Mifsud Mora went through an experience that was very similar to that of Andrea Prudente, who made headlines when she was denied an abortion after suffering a ruptured membrane while holidaying in Malta.
Cast & Performances
Blanket Ban was written by Vella and Hamilton, for Vella and Hamilton. The duo’s strength lies precisely in the intimacy of their relationship. As they walk us through the initial stages of their friendship all the way through the realisation of this production, their portrayals carry a profound sense of sincerity, at times feeling almost like a conversation between friends. It is this honesty that gives both the performances and the production itself a lot of its strength.
There is no mistaking the emotional depth that both actors bring to the piece. At times this intensity is allowed to run unchecked, overwhelming the scene, undermining its impact. Hamilton’s monologues are a case in point. This is an issue that can be easily remedied with tighter direction and editing.
Blanket Ban Verdict – is it worth seeing?
Blanket Ban should be celebrated (and experienced) for various reasons. It has succeeded in re-opening the abortion debate on the Maltese theatre landscape, after it lay dormant for seven years post De-Terminated – The Abortion Diaries. In terms of the topic being discussed, it does to local theatre what Loranne Vella’s Marta Marta does to Melitensia.
Maltese theatre is going through a particularly strong renaissance, with locally-penned productions receiving acclaim away from our shores. Like Sisyphean Quick Fix did last year, Blanket Ban brings to our homesoil a production that has received several prestigious accolades and cemented a team of Maltese actors, directors, and theatre practitioners in the international canon.
Is it a perfect production? By no means. But it doesn’t need to be perfect to be relevant. And equally importantly, regardless of where you stand on the divide, it will not fail to move you and to make you think.
Affiliate/Advertising Disclaimer: How I Carry Out Reviews
I received no payment for this Blanket Ban review and I was offered press tickets. The opinions expressed here are purely my own and the producers had no input/control over what I wrote. There are no affiliate links contained within this page.To learn more about my policies and my reviewing process, visit my Affiliate/Advertising disclosure page.