When Marta Vella says “I love Malta” there is a catch in her voice. Effortlessly treading the line between buoyant and sombre, writer-performers Vella and Davinia Hamilton delight in the joys of their home country – the sun, the sea, the exquisite food – while grappling with their shame and disgust at its draconian abortion laws.
To create the show, the pair spoke to medical professionals and people who have personally navigated illegal abortions in Malta. Having conducted these interviews during lockdown, they found startling new issues arising: if one of the only safe ways to get an abortion is to leave the country, what do you do when a global pandemic shuts down the borders? The duo’s use of these stories – some of which were shared for the first time, a testament to the grace with which they work – is selective and moving, engaging and gentle. They are both incredibly funny performers, easy to laugh with and easy to like, making the sober, tragic notes land with an even firmer thud to your heart.
