Josef Mario Briffa SJ

Id-Dnub tal-Magħżulin

Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

This last week I’ve had the joy of spending plenty of time with Id-Dnub tal-Magħżulin, a local theatre production in Malta, a contemporary (and queer) reading of the story of David and Jonathan as narrated in the books of Samuel. When a year or so ago, Tyrone Grima, the play’s director had asked whether I would be interested in presenting a short lecture* and Q&A session after some of the shows, I was of two minds.

[*The full text is now available here: BRIFFA 2025, David u Ġonatan: Annotamenti dwar ir-rakkont bibliku fil-kuntest tal-Lvant Nofsani Antik. updated 29.12.2025]

Part of me was very keen on saying yes, as the project sounded interesting. Part of me absolutely dreaded the idea, as it takes me way out of my comfort zone. My training is more archaeological, historical and textual, and even my reading of the Biblical text is more in a historical key than anything else. Bringing together this approach with the production’s queer take is far from straightforward, particularly coming — in my case — with the baggage of being a Catholic priest, teaching in a Pontifical faculty. Yesterday’s Q&A after the show and lecture, along with Adrian and Tyrone, was absolutely pleasant and engaging, and has left me buzzing.

My aim in preparing the lecture was very much to try and bring into dialogue the theatrical production, with its contemporary and queer take, with a rigorous, even pedantic, consideration of the biblical text in its ancient Near Eastern context. That’s my field, after all. It meant casting the net far and wide in my research, trying to make some sense of the readings offered on the story, and particularly the readings of the relationship between Jonathan and David, that it ambiguous, with erotic overtones, where often the readings proposed by commentators tend too to be in their own image and likeness, realising that sometimes the conclusions reached were actually a priori assumptions, on both sides of the interpretational divide. In preparing myself, I’m particularly indebted to Susan Ackerman’s When Heroes Love (2005), which is really a masterpiece of intellectual rigour.

Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

I cannot offer a review of the play. I’m no theatre expert, and this last week I’ve been so delightfully adopted by the cast and production team, that I cannot even pretend to be objective. I know how to read narrative, however, and having had the chance to have seen it five times already (between technical and dress rehearsals, and three shows already), I’ve come to pick up even on the subtleties, uninitiated as I may be to the art of theatre. I promise to avoid spoilers too!

If Id-Dnub tal-Magħżulin chooses a clearly queer reading of the biblical narrative, it does not do so in a flippant manner. The story is dark and complex, developing the relationships and power games, between Samuel and Saul, Saul and David, Saul and Jonathan, David and Jonathan. Thankfully moments of light relief bring a smile in what can be a very dark story.

The complexity of the relationship between Jonathan and David is developed beautifully, at moment playful, others dark, but never banal. Its erotic overtones are imbued with sacrality, and speak also of woundedness and vulnerability.

Id-Dnub tal-Magħżulin kept me questioning what is the “sin of the chosen” (as the title states), as the characters struggle with the corruption of power, with violence, passion and love.

Id-Dnub tal-Magħżulin will be on also next weekend 7-8-9 February at the Valletta Campus Theatre.
A further short lecture and Q&A session will be held on Friday 7 February after the show.

Biljetti minn www.adrianbuckle.com
16+ (temi sensittivi u xena ta’ nudità)

produzzjoni ta’ Tyrone Grima u Adrian Buckle
reġija ta’ Tyrone Grima
kitba ta’ Trevor Zahra u Adrian Buckle
direzzjoni intima minn Simone Ellul

jieħdu sehem Peter Galea, Miguel Formosa, Benjamin Abela, Sean Borg, Josue Formosa, Stefan Farrugia, Mandy Muscat, Matthias Zarb, Bernard Zammit

disinn tas-sett: Romualdo Moretti
Mużika: Alexander Vella Gregory
disinn tad-dwal: Mohamed Ali Aguerbi
disinn grafiku: Mikhail Basmadjian
Irtokk: Mandy Zammit
Kostumi: Michela Manduca
Stage Manager: Rachel Zammit
Technical Manager: Stefan Scerri
Props Manager: David Micallef
ASM: Luke Andre Camilleri
Bini tas-Sett: Lorry Coleiro

mgħejjun minn Arts Council Malta

[updated 11.02.2025 to add articles and reviews]

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