‘Twelve Steps’ has been this summers must see in Gozo, has taken place throughout the summer at the Citadel, Victoria. Citadel,

Twelve Steps is similar to the ‘gioco-spettacolo,’ so popular in medieval and rinascimental fortressess in Tuscany, but with a local twist as all the characters involved are related to the Maltese Islands. This game-show is a first for Malta.

The history of the island of Gozo has not always faithfully followed the path of the sister island. The island is shrouded in mystery, tales, legends and secrets. A unique interactive experience set in the Citadel of Victoria will try to unravel it all through a trail that will lead to the discovery of the island’s best kept secrets.

This unique interactive experience will involve a game-performance where the public will be free to choose whether to actively take part in it or passively observe the characters in the various selected places around the Citadel. The characters are fourteen in all. They range from the inquisitor to the pirate, from the Knight of Malta to Saint Paul and include abstract themes like death itself.

The game starts with a prisoner who is locked up in the prisons of the Citadel accused on trumped up charges of having conspired against the Knights of Malta and is handed a death sentence by hanging to be carried out at dawn. The poor man is distraught and desperate. He is given a final chance: if he can find someone that will unlock a set of riddles he will be spared. These riddles will only be unlocked by the enigmatic characters that come to life in the Citadel at night. As desperate as he is, he will besiege visitors to solve the riddles for him. There is only one way that of going around the Citadel and find the characters that can solve these riddles.

The prisoner will provide participants with a map of the Citadel and implore them to help him. But this is no easy feat as the characters once found will not easily part away with their secrets. The participant has to understand, guess or do something to arrive to the answers. Each time the participant solves the riddle s/he is given a symbol. Once all the symbols are collected and the riddles solved then the prisoner is spared. But beware; only the brave ones can complete it all. Once a winner is declared s/he is given a prize by the prisoner for saving his life.

The game-performance will be set in the English language and is open to all ages and nationalities.

Twelve Steps, is an epic timfest journey which is being organised by the Victoria Local Council and will run for the last time for this summer tonight, Friday the 17th and tomorrow, Saturday, the18th of September 2010, at 8.30pm at the Citadel in Victoria, Gozo.

Photograph by Charles Spiteri.

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