“IS-SIGILL TAL-QRAR” on NET TV

From autumn of this year, NET Television will be screening a new drama “Is-Sigill tal-Qrar” produced by Horizons. It is originally penned by Jesmond Kris Bugeja and being directed by the well known actor turned director, Ivan De Battista. For Horizons, this is the first time they are producing a drama for television and are much energised about the project.

Kenneth Mizzi, one of the producers said that the show is full of plots and sub-plots. He reveals that during the course of the drama one of the characters is murdered and the audience indulge themselves to play the role of a sleuth to solve the mystery by searching for clues to catch the executioner. It is of the genre Who Dunit?

It opens with the return of a monk from missionary work in South America to visit his mother on her dying bed. The cleric, Fr Emilio Bernardi is played by the author himself. However, as the story ensues, many uncertainties are nurtured as to why the priest has returned to his homeland. Prior to joining the priesthood, Fr Bernardi has read for a lawyer’s degree, but has never set foot in a court of law ever since.

Parallel to the missioners’ tale, the narrative continues with a couple’s struggle to survive each other’s sight. Their marriage hits rock bottom when it surfaces that the lady of the house, Tiffany is cheating on her husband, Dr Ralph Naudi. It becomes apparent that both of them oppose to resolve the setbacks governing their matrimonial crisis, until...

Tiffany becomes pregnant but is not sure who the father of the unborn child is. She is having an extra marital affair with her husband’s brother (Andre Penza’) who is the estranged spouse of Tiffany’s best friend, Stacy. On the other hand, this is unbeknown to Stacy (Simone Debattista) despite the fact that Tiffany confides in her that she is carrying her first child. Tiffany resists the pregnancy and seeks the services of a well known underground crook to terminate the pregnancy. On the eleventh hour, Tiffany changes her mind and walks out of the clinic without having an abortion. The villain declares war and vows to kill her. The couple is played by Rennie Schembri and Marilyn Custo’.

Dr Naudi asks for the assistance of Fr Bernardi to represent him in the court case leading to the separation from his wife. Fr Bernardi refuses without preamble and recommends to try and straighten out the couple’s differences. The doctor rebuffs the offer and insists with him that failing to be his legal representative would lead him to….

Melissa a mother of 6 young kids is a patient of Dr Ralph Naudi and has been under his care for several months. Melissa could not do without an urgent operation but Dr Naudi insists with her to have the operation in a private hospital. Her husband, Neville who is unemployed shrugs off the proposal and is adamant that his wife must have the surgery at the general hospital. After an unfortunate incident which turns ugly, Neville decides to take the law into his own hands.

Considering the broadness of the drama, it demands more characters to fill it. On the cast list there are several other well known performers who are individually known in the local scene for their work both in theatre and on television. Pat Mahoney, Andre` Penza, Rina Camilleri, Peter Borg, Charles Sammut, Gwido Fenech, Fredrick Testa, Fabrian Scerri de Carlo to name but a few besides other new talents that have been casted following auditions held some weeks ago.

The viewers accept this type of storytelling where they look into conjugal troubles, unfaithfulness, dilemmas, criminals, policing, legal system, vigilante, rich people, etc.