The play ‘How I Learned to Drive’ made waves in the theatre world when it premiered Off-Broadway in the 90s, and its American playwright, Paula Vogel, went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1998. Fast forward almost three decades, and the Maltese writer and actor Simone Spiteri has translated the play to Maltese, titled ‘Kif Tghallimt Insuq’, and the theatre company Dù Theatre is now bringing it to the Maltese stage for the first time ever. 

The play will be brought to the Theatre Next Door stage, in the limits of Naxxar, on 28th February till Sunday 2nd March and from Friday 7th March till Sunday 9th March with an extra show added on Friday 14th March. The play will be performed in Maltese, however shows on the 1st, 8th and 14th March will also include English subtitles.

The plot follows Iz-Zghira, a young girl whose world is shaped by a complex and troubling relationship with her driving instructor. As she recounts her journey with raw vulnerability and unsettling sincerity, the lines between care and control, affection and manipulation, begin to blur. ‘Kif Tghallimt Insuq’ forces audiences to confront difficult truths delivered with masterful storytelling, biting humour and an unapologetic candour that is unique to the Maltese language.

The play uses the metaphor of driving to explore the ideas of control and manipulation. A word of warning - the play addresses sensitive and potentially distressing topics, including pedophilia, grooming, sexual abuse, and manipulation, as well as the lasting impact on survivors. For this reason, viewer discretion is advised and the minimum age for entry is 15.

Many well-known faces will be bringing the story to life, including Simone Spiteri, Peter Galea, Moira Vassallo, Pierre Stafrace, Maria Buckle, Magdalena Van Kuilenburg, and Adam Ryan, directed by Chiara Hyzler.

Intrigued? Get more information and your tickets from the Theatre Next Door website.

Had you ever heard of this play before?