You must be bold, brave, and courageous
and find a way … to get in the way.
John Lewis

The three plays in this book tell the stories of a number of ‘little people’ who have one thing in common: they refuse to buckle under in the face of tyranny. Their resistance is a nuisance, a menace that has to be swept away. In their struggle, they are all destined to learn horrific lessons in courage, loyalty, betrayal and the nature of power.

Ernesto Panza is set in Chile in 1973 during the coup d’état carried out by General Augusto Pinochet following the election of Salvador Allende in 1970. The Pardon Beggars takes place some years after the military junta that overthrew Isabel Perón as President of Argentina in 1976 was ousted following the restoration of the democratic process. Valeriana – The Titan’s Rock, which has a Maltese protagonist, recounts the happenings on a small island off the coast of Italy during the Fascist regime.

The three plays were regional winners for Europe in the BBC World Service Radio Playwriting Competitions for 1999, 2005 and 2007. Ernesto Panza was broadcast as ‘Play of the Week’ on BBC World Service in 2000.