Press Mute: Michela Farrugia and Mark Laurence Zammit. Photo: Udjenza / Facebook
Staged at Spazju Kreattiv over two weeks, Press Mute draws inspiration from the growing movement of live journalism, which brings journalistic reporting into the theatre space. The production, written and directed by Herman Grech, included veteran theatre-makers, a journalist and stage novices.
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Press Mute production details
| Play | Press Mute – |
| My rating | ⭐⭐⭐🌟 (3.5 out of 5) |
| Write & Director | Herman Grech |
| Creative Producer | Toni Attard |
| Visuals | Dylan Odom |
| Set Design | Aldo Moretti |
| Cast | Mark Laurence Zammit, Michela Farrugia, Davide Tucci, Philip Leone-Ganado, Trudy Kerr |
| Venue | Spazju Kreattiv |
| Dates | February 29 – March 1 |
| Duration | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Content Warnings | Sexual imagery |
Press Mute: The narrative
Press Mute is described as a dramatisation of the actual processes behind real news stories, focusing on the media’s often-fraught relationship with artificial intelligence, algorithms and podcasters.
Herman Grech’s script revolves around how a breaking story about ministerial corruption is given very different treatment by different sections of the press. We’re first introduced to two journalists working with legacy media who follow journalistic due process and ethics.
Then there’s the podcaster who is receiving substantial income from that same minister, and whose stories and interviews appear to be nothing more than paid promotions — because that’s exactly what they are. No prizes for guessing which of these gets the most traction with the public. Press Mute is a timely production in the era of deep fakes, where even the digitally savvy often find themselves checking and rechecking the reliability of news sources.
It is within this context that live journalism has gained traction in countries like Spain, Germany and Finland. The form places verified reporting on stage in explicitly documentary terms. This is where my reservation about Press Mute begins. The production positions itself between satire and live journalism. Satire thrives on exaggeration and fictional framing, while live journalism derives its force from documentary transparency. Press Mute gestures towards both without fully committing to either.
That ambiguity becomes more pronounced with the inclusion of a real-life journalist — Mark Laurence Zammit — appearing as himself within a fictional narrative shaped by his editor. This is not a cameo but a central role, so the blurring of fact and fiction feels particularly loaded in a play concerned with misinformation. A clearer structural choice, akin to Dossier’s use of actors to interpret dramatised events, may have strengthened the production’s overall coherence. Grech himself has previously adopted this approach in They Blew Her Up and De-terminated: The Abortion Diaries.
My other reservation is that the play places its message above the dramatisation. The urgency of the theme is understandable, but it comes at the expense of characterisation and dialogue. Lengthy monologues spelling out journalism’s role in a functioning democracy reinforce this didactic tone. This appears to be a recurring trend in Maltese theatre with a social cause – it was also my main gripe with Blanket Ban. As a result, the production feels more like a case being argued than a story unfolding. A more restrained, show-don’t-tell approach would likely have carried greater dramatic force.
The cast
Michela Farrugia and Mark Laurence Zammit take on the roles of the two legacy journalists. They both commit fully to the material, even though at times the performances strain against dialogue that prioritises exposition over emotional exchange.
Davide Tucci as Perry the podcaster provides effective comedic relief. Tucci’s natural wit shines through and he blends the light-hearted moments with the darker aspects of his role seamlessly, in a way reminiscent of his part in The Heimlich Hustle.
One of the strongest presences of the evening was Trudy Kerr, in real life a well-known podcaster. Here she takes on the role of the Algorithm. Kerr’s acting debut saw her add nuance to what, on paper, is a primarily robotic role. Philip Leone Ganado is appropriately entertaining as the slimy Minister in question.
Direction and staging
Grech’s direction and staging are deliberately minimal, with a set that keeps the focus firmly on the dialogue. We’ve got a central newsroom desk, a side space doubling as the podcaster’s studio, and overhead monitors projecting actual news headlines.
The director’s choice to keep Kerr’s character present throughout the proceedings pays off, conveying an all-seeing entity with the power to shape the events as they unfold. The interplay between seriousness and satire is effective, with Grech’s direction allowing the moments of wit to sharpen the gravity of the topic, rather than diluting it.
The projected headlines are tightly cued to the unfolding scenes, grounding the fictional narrative in recognisable reality and lending immediacy to the newsroom setting. These were the work of Dylan Odom, who was also concurrently technical director on Noti Mil-Loki Tal-Big G’s. Odom’s technical precision contributes significantly to the production’s cohesion.
Press Mute: Verdict
Press Mute is a solid attempt to confront a pressing reality: the erosion of journalism as a profession and the mounting pressures faced by those working on its most fraught beats. As the play’s tagline warns, “you’ll miss the facts when they’re gone.” Its convictions are clear and strongly articulated. This is an ambitious and thoughtful work, even if it does not fully resolve the tension between argument and drama. As a journalist myself, I am naturally sympathetic to its defence of the profession. As theatre, however, it does not always succeed in translating that conviction into compelling drama.
If you’d like to watch an Udjenza show with a very different flavour, check out my review of Il-Ħajja Sigrieta Tan-Nanna Ġenoveffa.
Affiliate/Advertising Disclaimer: How I Carry Out Reviews
I received no payment for this Press Mute review and I was offered press tickets. I also received no payment for the Q&A conducted with the director and producer after the show. 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. To better understand what my rating means, check out the details of the star system.
