Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Cast: Ray Calleja, Jes Camilleri, Pia Zammit, Bettina Paris, Joe Azzopardi.

The family unit, the last great bastion of civilisation or so they say but when a family is torn apart by uncovered secrets from the past, when the lies, which were told in order to protect at the time, become the pivotal point of damning collision it is no wonder that the family can be seen as dysfunctional.

In Brad Fraser’s touchingly explosive play True Love Lies, the potential for an atomic explosion to deliver fallout on the type of scale that would have Geiger counters going berserk as the radiation came pouring out was ever present in the air as the audience at the St. James Cavalier Castile Place in Valetta were given a first-hand demonstration on how the Nuclear family is just as unstable as any other type of relationship.

Any relationship can be toxic, from a friend who gets a handshake thrown back in their face to a disagreement which has blown out of control but tellingly it is the family unit which can unravel quickest as Brad Fraser’s script shows with a perfect elegance and rapid fire delivery which was beautifully presented by the five actors on stage.

From the very enjoyable performances of Ray Calleja, Jes Camilleri and Pia Zammit to the fiery brilliance supplied by the marvellous Bettina Paris as Madison and the untameable wonder of Joe Azzopardi who captured the hearts of the audience as he portrayed with excellent acting agility the slow disintegration of a mind in turmoil as the fall-out from a secret revealed prepares to take all who know down to a place in which they might never truly recover. From a different perspective the same could be said of Bettina Paris, instead of slowly breaking down though, the young actor showed that mental toughness and unchecked rebellion can be just as damaging, just as destructive, especially when in  the hands of someone who can cause as much havoc as a hurricane hitting the mid-Atlantic in storm season. For this Bettina Paris was a captivating find.

With a set that cleverly captured the two separate lives and what could have been either way, the cast and crew of True Love Lies gave the theatrical taste-buds of the entire audience the salivating joy of a well prepared and sumptuous performance. A great gift of theatre presentation in the hands of a company that cares very deeply about the message they are sending out.

Ian D. Hall